§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each overseas trip by his Ministers and officials, since 1 May 1997(a) the individuals who travelled, (b) the total costs of the trip broken down as available, (c) the destination of the trip and (d) the reason for the trip; and if he will make a statement. [69253]
§ Mr. Dewar[holding answer 4 February 1999]: All overseas visits by Ministers are conducted in accordance with the principles set out in the Ministerial Code. Information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost. The figures given are estimates of costs attributable to officials. In accordance with convention the names of officials who accompany a Minister have not been given.
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Date Destination Reason Personnel £ 20–21 October Luxembourg Agriculture Council Lord Sewel and Private Secretary 1,345 20–22 October Ireland Gaelic related issues Brian Wilson 500 29–31 October Luxembourg Fisheries Council Lord Sewel, Private Secretary and 2 officials 3,160 19–20 November Brussels Education Council Brian Wilson, Private Secretary and official 1,590 1–2 December Brussels Give St. Andrew's Day Lecture and meet EU Commissioner Secretary of State, Private Secretary and official 1,315 8 December Luxembourg ESDP Bilaterals Malcolm Chisholm, Private Secretary and 2 officials 2,465 17–18 December Brussels Fisheries Council Lord Sewel, Private Secretary and official 2,140 1998 12–13 January Copenhagen and Stockholm ESDP Bilateral Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and 2 officials 2,100 20–22 January Helsinki and Bonn ESDP Bilateral Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and 2 officials 2,900 25–26 February Paris ESDP Bilateral Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and official 900 11–12 March Dublin ESDP Bilateral Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and 2 officials 1,200 12–14 March Madrid, Toledo and Barcelona Fact finding visit for Scottish Parliament Secretary of State, Private Secretary and 2 officials 3,500 24 March Brussels Fisheries Council Lord Sewel, Private Secretary and official 1,150 25–27 March Nice METREX Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and official 1,800 2 April Paris ESDP Bilateral Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and 2 officials 1,300 14–16 April Helsinki Fact finding visit for Scottish Parliament Henry McLeish, Private Secretary and 3 officials 4,800 25–30 April USA Inward investment promotion Brian Wilson, Private Secretary and official 15,000 28 April Brussels European Seafood Exposition Lord Sewel, Private Secretary and official 1,900 29–30 April Luxembourg Health Council Sam Galbraith, Private Secretary and 2 officials 2,400 22 May Catania Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and official 2,200 27 May Brussels Communicable Diseases Council Sam Galbraith, Private Secretary and official 1,100 1–4 June Lisbon European Forestry Ministers Conference Lord Sewel and Private Secretary 1,800 3–4 June Luxembourg Education Council Brian Wilson, Private Secretary and official 1,700 8 June Luxembourg Fisheries Council Lord Sewel, Private Secretary and 3 officials 4,400 10–11 June Paris Attend Opening Match of FIFA World Cup Finals Secretary of State, Private Secretary and 1 official 1,400 14–17 June Bordeaux Trade promotion and attend FIFA World Cup Match Brian Wilson and Private Secretary 1,200 17–19 June Strasbourg, Brussels and Bonn Meet Ministers to discuss European affairs and structural funds Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and official 2,700 23–24 June St. Etienne Attend FIFA World Cup Match Calum Macdonald and official 500 25–27 June Prague Meet European Education Ministers Brian Wilson, Private Secretary and 2 officials 3,950 9–12 September Kuala Lumpur Attend Commonwealth Games Sam Galbraith, Private Secretary and official 14,355 21–22 October Luxembourg Fisheries Council Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary 1,130 13–15 November Granada Attend British-Spanish Tertulias Secretary of State and Private Secretary 2,025 23–24 November Brussels Agriculture Council Lord Sewel, Private Secretary and official 1,880 23–25 November Munich and Helsinki Address Scotland Bavaria Forum and meet Finnish Env. Affairs Minister Calum Macdonald, Private Secretary and official (Helsinki only) 3,545 17–18 December Brussels Fisheries Council Lord Sewel and Private Secretary 1,275 21 December Brussels Environment Council Lord Sewel and Private Secretary 1,045 1999 7–8 February Gothenberg Meet Volvo senior managers Lord Macdonald, Private Secretary and official 1,110 8–10 February Strasbourg Visit European Parliament and address MEPs on devolution issues Secretary of State, Private Secretary and 4 officials 5,115 16 February Bonn Meet German Finance Minister Secretary of State, Private Secretary and 2 officials 2,440 22–26 February Brussels Agriculture Council Lord Sewel, Private Secretary and 2 officials 2,635 The cost of these visits is part of this Administration's expenditure on ministerial overseas travel which in 1997–98 was £6.1 compared to £7.8 million in the last year of the previous administration.