To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the cost of (a) ministerial visits and (b) entertaining in his Department in each of the last five years.

[holding answer 29 April 1988]: The information requested is as follows:

Year	Ministerial visits £	Ministerial entertaining £
1984–85	9,514	5,219
1985–86	23,272	8,344
1986–87	18,030	3,931
1987–88	10,664	5,749

The figures include the related costs of staff in direct support of the Minister.The Office of Arts and Libraries was established as an independent Department in July 1983 and corresponding figures for 1983–84 are not available.