HC Deb 26 February 2001 vol 363 cc395-6W
Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list all overseas visits made by ministers in his Department, together with the purpose of each visit and the cost to the public purse in each case, since 1 May 1997. [151520]

Mr. Chris Smith

This Government have given a commitment to publish an annual list of visits overseas by Cabinet Ministers costing more than £500 as well as an annual figure on spend by all Ministers on overseas visits. The list for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999 was published on 17 June 1999,Official Report, column 196W, and the list for 1999–2000 was published on 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 969W. The list for 2000–2001 will be published in due course.

Sir Brian Mawhinney

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the Ministers in his Department who visited any of the constituencies which are in the l'eterborough Unitary Authority area between 1 January 2000 and 14 February 2001, indicating in each case(a) the date of the visit, (b) the constituencies included in the visit and (c) if the local hon. Member met the Minister. [151021]

Janet Anderson

I visited Peterborough on 6 December 2000 and met my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Mrs. Brinton). We had a number of engagements including a visit to Peterborough Football Club which, I understand, is located in the North-West Cambridgeshire constituency. I was unaware of this at the time and I was therefore unable to give the right hon. Member advance notice of this visit. I have apologised to him since.

No other Ministers in this Department have visited the Peterborough unitary authority area in this period.