§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list visits made by each Minister in the Department between December 2003 and April 2004, broken down by(a) date, (b) constituency visited and (c) cost. [171569]
§ Margaret BeckettBetween December 2003 and April 2004 departmental Ministers have undertaken 63 visits in the UK. Information on constituencies visited and details of the cost of each individual visit could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the travel costs incurred(a) by her Department and its predecessors and (b) by each Minister within her Department, for each of the last 10 years. [175643]
§ Margaret BeckettIn respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government has published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government has also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and in some cases will no longer be held. Information for 2003–04 will be published in due course.
826WThe following table shows domestic ministerial and overall departmental expenditure recorded since the Department was formed.
£000 Year end 31 March Ministerial travel Departmental travel 2001–02 53 11,249 2002–03 91 7,272 2003–04 64 7,135 The figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 include travel expenses (£4,579,000 and £469,000 respectively) incurred as a result of foot and mouth disease.
The figures for both departmental and ministerial travel include the use of helicopters, chartered planes, airline tickets and trains and can be broken down further only at disproportionate cost.
§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in her Department and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case. [175743]
§ Margaret BeckettThere is no central record of RAF Helicopter journeys made by DEFRA Ministers in the financial year 2001–02. Since the financial year 2002–03, only one helicopter journey of 45 minutes duration has been made by any DEFRA Minister.
§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of her Ministers will be attending the Country Landowner's Association Game Fair on 23–24 July. [183068]
§ Margaret BeckettNone.