§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the itinerary, with(a) dates and (b) agenda, of the recently announced roadshow of UK cities and towns as part of the EU information campaign; what budget has been assigned; how many staff have been tasked; what measures he will take to ensure that (i) hon. Members 1051W whose constituency it visits are informed and (ii) a full and open exchange of views occurs; and if he will make a statement. [124323]
§ Mr. MacShaneDetails of the EU enlargement visits to more than 100 UK cities and towns can be found on the FCO public website (www.fco.gov.uk). This is updated regularly with details of future visits.
The FCO EU Public Diplomacy Section of seven staff is responsible for implementing efforts to inform the U K public about the EU—including this regional programme, in addition to other duties.
A budget of £40,000 has been set aside for this programme, and we work closely with local Government Offices and other regional organisations to arrange visits.
All hon. and right hon. Members and Members of the European Parliament are informed of forthcoming visits, and we aim to engage as wide an audience as possible by informing the media in advance.