To ask the Prime Minister if he will list (a) Government expenditure on ministerial overseas visits for the financial years 1996–97 to 2002–03 and (b) all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003, including the (i) cost, (ii) destination and (iii) purpose of each visit. [126761]
Expenditure on Ministerial overseas visits for the period requested is estimated as follows:
| Expenditure on ministerial overseas visits | |
| £ million | |
| Year | Expenditure |
| 1996–97 | 7.9 |
| 1997–981 | 6.4 |
| 1998–99 | 4.9 |
| 1999–2000 | 4.6 |
| 2000–01 | 4.7 |
| 2001–02 | 5.6 |
| 2002–03 | 5.7 |
| Special advisers | |||||
| Pay band | |||||
| Department | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| No 10 1 | — | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | — | — | 22 | 1 | — |
| Chief Whips' Offices (Commons and Lords) | — | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| Constitutional Affairs | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Culture, Media and Sport | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Defence3 | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| Education and Skills | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Foreign and Commonwealth Office | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Health | — | — | 2 | 1 | — |
| Home Office | — | — | 24 | — | — |
| International Development 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords | — | 41 | — | — | — |
| Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons5 | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Northern Ireland Office | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Secretary of State for Wales | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Trade and Industry 6 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| HM Treasury 7.8 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Transport 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Work and Pensions | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| Minister without Portfolio 5 | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Total | — | 16 | 26 | 19 | 4 |
| 1 Plus two special advisers who are paid beyond Pay Band 4 but within the scheme maximum. | |||||
| 2 Includes one part-time adviser. | |||||
| 3 Includes one special adviser under their provisional pay band whose job has not yet been evaluated. | |||||
Expenditure on ministerial overseas visit
| |
£million
| |
Year
| Expenditure
|
1 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1998 | |
The figure for 2002–03 reflects payments made so far for travel undertaken in this period; a few bills have yet to be submitted to Departments for payment.
A list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the costs of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate.