DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested for each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. For the period April 2006 to December 2007 inclusive for core-DEFRA, the Animal Health Agency, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aqua-Cultural Science, the Government Decontamination Service, and the Rural Payment Agency the information held centrally on overseas visits by officials is:
Travel type Country Spend (£) Number of tickets Air Australia 59,124 32 Austria 29,308 88 Barbados 618 2 Belgium 59,889 230 Brazil 90,620 32 Canada 67,618 53 Cayman Islands 787 1 China 115,579 57 Croatia 82 1 Cyprus 1,787 4 Czech Republic 4,168 18 Denmark 22,220 73 Estonia 1,794 11 Ethiopia 9,578 9 Faroe Islands 1,244 3 Finland 46,203 97 France 21,395 59 Germany 82,411 247 Ghana 3,597 1 Greece 1,972 6 Hong Kong 26,770 16 Hungary 3,237 10 Iceland 1,666 5 India 109,694 71 Indonesia 104,045 41 Ireland 7,146 62 Italy 27,831 88 Jamaica 3,631 2 Japan 71,898 36 Kenya 127,938 73 Korea Republic 1,694 4 Latvia 1,004 4 Lithuania 1,842 4 Luxembourg 30,090 123 Malaysia 10,649 3 Malta 308 2 Mexico 92,301 37 Morocco 2,555 2 Mozambique 5,356 1 Netherlands 20,224 94 New Zealand 766 1 Norway 16,661 52 Poland 5,112 14 Portugal 23,175 74 Romania 3,083 8 Russia 8,556 10 Saudi Arabia 1,235 1 Senegal 7,444 4 Serbia 2,003 5 Seychelles 2,107 2 Singapore 17,762 14 Slovenia 768 8 South Africa 32,182 17 Spain 26,790 83 St. Christopher (St. Kitts) NE 7,068 2 Sweden 14,549 47 Switzerland 34,456 118 Thailand 39,160 13 Turkey 1,186 5 Ukraine 1,700 1 United States 316,751 180 Air total spend (£) 1,832,386 Air total number of tickets 2,361 Rail Belgium 427,536 3,183 Canada 151 2 France 40,720 333 Germany 1,869 34 Italy 12 1 Luxembourg 505 9 Netherlands 1,429 20 Spain 429 1 Sweden 48 2 Switzerland 241 8 United States 442 8 Rail total spend (£) 473,081 Rail total number of tickets 3,601