To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what the Lord Chancellor's Department's expenditure was on foreign travel, including accommodation, in 1996-97; (114014)

For figures for ministerial expenditure on foreign travel, including accommodation, in 1996-97 and 2005-06, I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's answer given on 19 December 2006 to the hon. Member for Blaby, (Mr. Robathan) Official Report, column 1808, which refers to the published annual list of overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers and includes the overall cost of all Ministers' overseas travel.

Costs of foreign travel, including accommodation, for civil servants incurred by the Department in 1996-97 and 2005-06 are not separately identifiable within the Department's accounts and may be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has published rules for official travel in its staff handbook, and all travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the "Civil Service Management Code". All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.