§ Mr. TyrieTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003(a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [126670]
§ Mr. CaplinBetween 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003, special advisers in the Ministry of Defence travelled abroad on 12 occasions and visited the following countries:
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Crete
- Czech Republic
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Kuwait
- Poland
- Qatar
- Turkey
- USA
The average cost of each visit was £1,398.
All travel by special advisers is undertaken fully in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.