HC Deb 06 July 1999 vol 334 cc432-3W
Mr. Tyrie

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the total cost, including travel and accommodation, of each occasion when a special adviser of the Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury has travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2 May 1997, whether accompanied by a Minister or not, indicating the place visited. [89047]

The Prime Minister

The two Special Advisers to the then Chief Whip visited the European Parliament in Brussels in September 1997. The cost of flights and accommodation was £300 each.

Following a request from the South African Parliament, one Special Adviser was a member of a party, which included the Principal Clerk, Select Committees in the House of Commons and other officials who visited South Africa to assist the Parliamentary Administration to prepare for the new induction of MPs following the national elections on 2 June. This was funded from the development assistance programme of the Department for International Development. The cost attributed to the Special Adviser's flight was £2,334. Subsistence was paid at a rate of £72 a night for the three nights of the visit.

All visits have been in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code.

Mr. Tyrie

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 13 April 1999,Official Report, column 1, on special advisers, if he will list the total cost including travel, accommodation and subsistence allowances, and place visited of each occasion that his (a) Chief of Staff and (b) Chief Press Secretary travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2 May 1997, whether accompanied by him or not. [89065]

The Prime Minister

My Chief of Staff and Chief Press Secretary regularly accompany me on official overseas visits and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 25 June 1999,Official Report, column 482–83 which accounted fully for costs of my official visits overseas, including the costs of those accompanying me. In addition, during the conflict in Kosovo, my Chief Press Secretary has visited NATO HQ in Brussels on six occasions, at the request of the NATO Secretary General and General Clark, SACEUR at an average cost of £400 per visit; and undertook a single visit to Macedonia and Kosovo at a cost of £570. Wherever possible, any accommodation needed was provided at no charge by HM Ambassador, NATO or General Clark. Normal subsistence rates for civil servants have applied.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by special advisers in his policy department for all Labour Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these. [89995]

The Prime Minister

Special Advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in theModel Contract for Special Advisers. Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Model

Title Author Date published
Environmental Planning Professor J. B. Cullingworth 1975–80
Nationalisation of British Industry Professor Sir Norman Chester 1975
Colonial Development D. J. Morgan 1980
External Economic Policy Vol. 1 Professor L. S. Pressnell 1987
The British Part in the Korean War General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley 1990–95
The Health Services since the War Dr. Charles Webster 1988–96

In addition a number of official histories are in preparation. These were listed in my answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson) on 3 February 1999, Official Report, column 646. Both the published histories, and those in preparation, relate only to the Cabinet Office official history programme. Other Government Departments produce histories relating to their own responsibilities. No central record of these is held.

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