§ Mr. HawkinsTo ask the Prime Minister if he will publish an account of the official overseas visits made by the former Minister without Portfolio during the time he held that office, listing the venue, the event, the number of officials accompanying him and the total cost of the visit to public funds. [89841]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 5 July 1999]: I have accounted fully for all overseas travel undertaken by Ministers, and any accompanying officials, in the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (Mr. Pendry) on 17 June 1999, Official Report, columns 196–97. This global figure of course included overseas visits by the former Minister without Portfolio.
Listed in the table are the official overseas visits made by the former Minister without Portfolio during the period 2 May 1997 to 27 July 1998.
Date Destination Purpose of Visit 17–18 July 1997 Paris Discussions on EU related matters/British Council Seminar 11 September 1997 Bonn/Munich Bilaterals with German Ministers. Represented HM Government at meeting of the Club of Three. 10 October 1997 Rome Address Institute of International Affairs/Bilaterals with Italian Ministers 27 November 1997 Paris Visit to Futuroscope as Minister responsible for Millennium Dome 30 January 1998 Florence Address European University Institute 2–3 February 1998 Brussels Bilaterals with EU Commissioners 2–4 March 1998 Bonn Address Seminar on Democracy and Legitimacy 8–9 May 1998 Amsterdam Address Congress of Europe 8–9 June 1998 Paris Address National Assembly 18–22 July 1998 Brazil Visit on behalf of the Government to promote political and economic relations between two countries The average cost of each visit was £1,365. All visits were fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code. On the November 1997 visit to Paris, the Minister was accompanied by an official. On other occasions he was supported by locally based diplomatic staff.