§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the total cost to public funds of the recent visit of the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting to Las Vegas. [127307]
§ Janet AndersonI visited Las Vegas as part of a wider visit to North America on official business as the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting. In Canada I represented the Government at the Banff International Television Festival, met the British Columbia Minister for Film to discuss current revisions to the film co-production Treaty between the UK and Canada, and undertook several engagements for the British Tourist Authority. In Nevada I made the Keynote Speech at the opening of the Annual Conference of the Institute of Travel and Tourism, had meetings with the Lt. Governor of Nevada, the Mayor of Las Vegas and with the Aladdin Project, the first major UK investment in the Las Vegas tourist industry. I attended 22 official engagements during my visit which was arranged jointly by my Department and the Foreign Office.
I will write to the hon. Member shortly with details of the costs of the visit.