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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions his Department's Ministers used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years. [213705] Mr. Caplin: The number of occasions Defence Ministers have used the aircraft of 32 (The Royal) Squadron in each of the past five financial years is as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Financial year Number of occasions 1999-2000 90 2000-01 56 2001-02 66 2002-03 66 2003-04 58 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Travel by Ministers makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/ Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004-05 will be published in due course. 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.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c267W;432 c265W; 213705

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Government departments Ministry of Defence Queen's flight

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk