The Electoral Commission informs me that the purpose of the visits in question was as follows:
Countries visited Reason 2001 Australia Study visit to the Australian Electoral Commission Canada Elections Canada (Annual Conference) Croatia Association of Central and Eastern European Electoral Administrators (Annual Conference) New Zealand Study visit to the Electoral Enrolment Centre, Chief Electoral Office, and Electoral Commission Republic of Ireland Study visit on Referendum planning and working practices Spain Preparatory meeting for the Conference on European Electoral Management Bodies Sweden International IDEA Conference 2002 Mauritius Commonwealth Secretariat seminar on voter registration Poland OSCE/ODIHR Human Dimension Implementation Meeting Republic of Ireland Study visit on Referendums Russia Association of Central and Eastern European Electoral Administrators (Annual Conference) Spain Conference on European Electoral Management Bodies Sweden International IDEA Workshop: Toward the Development of Standards of Law and Practice to Promote Electoral Access for Citizens with Disabilities 2003 Australia Work placement: Department of Local Government and Regional Development, Western Australia Belgium European Parliament: Disability Intergroup Meeting Canada Conference on the State Funding of Political Parties Germany Study visit on voting Age India International IDEA Election Management Bodies conference Mexico Second Conference of the global electoral organisations network Switzerland IFES/IDEA/IPU/Inclusion International Conference on electoral rights for people for disabilities USA Study visit on political party funding 2004 Albania Study visit on voter turnout and first time voters Austria FCO-organised study visit on electoral standards and commitments Canada Study visit on political party funding Elections Canada Conference on monitoring the Iraqi elections Chile British Council Conference on election administration and political party funding Germany Study visit on political party funding Netherlands Study visit on political party funding 2005 Austria OSCE/ODIHR Human Dimension Implementation meeting Canada Meeting with Elections Canada France Second European Conference of Electoral Management Bodies in Strasbourg (Venice Commission) Hungary ACCEEEO-organised meeting of EU election experts India Commonwealth Secretariat Conference of Chief Election Officers Mexico Federal Electoral Institute Seminar on the Media and Elections Poland OSCE/ODIHR Human Dimension Implementation meeting Russia OSCE/ODIHR expert meeting on election observation USA International Mission for Iraqi Elections meeting Study of US Govt bodies COGEL (Council on Govt, ethics and law) Conference 2006 Canada IFES conference—Making Electoral Reform Real: Best Practices for managing an electoral system transition Latvia Association of Central and Eastern European Electoral Administrators (Annual Conference) Poland ODIHR Roundtable on election issues 2007 Canada Study visit to Elections Canada COGEL Conference Poland OSCE/ODIHR conference on e-voting Republic of Ireland Meeting with the Department for Foreign Affairs Meeting with the Standards in Public Office Russia Study visit to the Independent Electoral Commission South Africa Conference hosted by The Electoral Commission of South Africa on Democratic Momentum Sweden International IDEA Working Group USA Global Electoral Organization (GEO) Conference