To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many flights to overseas destinations were taken by (a) civil servants and (b) Ministers in his Department in each of the last three calendar years; and what the total cost was of such flights. (144950)

All travel by civil servants or Ministers is undertaken in accordance with civil service rules and procedures, the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers. These combined figures for the years in question are set out in the following table.

Figures for January 2004 to March 2004 are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.