HC Deb 03 December 2002 vol 395 cc707-9W
Mr. Chope

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total expenditure of(a) his Department and (b) its agencies was on official travel in 2001–02. [84787]

Mr. Leslie

Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much central funding has been given by his Department to(a) Buckinghamshire county council, (b) Chiltern district council, (c) Amersham Town council and (d) Chesham Town council in each year since 1 January 1996. [85131]

Mr. Leslie

Information on funding provided by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister under the main local government revenue and capital finance systems to Buckinghamshire county council and Chiltern district council are given in the following table.

financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Minister's visits overseas. Details of travel during the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 was published on 24 July 2002, Official Report, columns 1374–75W. Copies of the list are available in the Libraries of the House.

All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister only came into existence in June this year following Machinery of Government changes. The former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions expenditure on official travel was £6.6 million. For agencies now sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, total expenditure was £4.1 million.

Mr. Chope

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total budget of(a) his Department and (b) its agencies is for official travel in 2002–03. [84927]

Mr. Leslie

The cost of Ministers' visits overseas for 2002–03 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.

For 2002–03, the Office's official travel budget is included in the overall administration resource budget. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's agencies budgets for official travel in 2002–03 is £4.4 million.

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