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Written question asked by Joe Robertson (Conservative) on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 May 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Monday, 18 May 2026. A substantive answer was provided by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Department for Transport: Aviation

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of the flight to Lebanon; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Answer

The Department for Transport (DfT) works with international partners to support the strengthening of aviation security standards with last points of departure to the UK. This engagement includes technical cooperation and in‑country visits where necessary to provide assurance, share best practice and support effective delivery at airports.

The visits to Lebanon were undertaken to support this ongoing aviation security activity. While a significant proportion of DfT’s international aviation security activity is conducted remotely, certain elements of technical engagement require presence on the ground, particularly where activity is focused on operational environments such as airports.

All three visits were approved by a Deputy Director (Senior Civil Servant) in DfT’s Transport Security Division in line with departmental policy.

  • The September visit involved two officials – One Senior Executive Officers (SEO) and one Executive Officer (EO). No Ministers or Senior Officials attended. Total Cost: £3,161.44

  • The October visit involved three officials – two Senior Executive Officers (SEOs) and one Executive Officer (EO). No Ministers or Senior Officials attended. Total Cost: £2,784.97

  • The November visit was cancelled at the last minute due to an escalation in the in-country security situation the day before travel. This visit was due to involve two - one Senior Executive Officers (SEO) and one Executive Officer (EO).  Total Cost after refunds received: £619.82

As part of the planning process, consideration was given to whether the engagement could be conducted remotely or combined with other official travel. While some preparatory and follow‑up activity was undertaken virtually, aspects of the engagement required on‑site delivery at the airport and therefore could not be fully conducted remotely.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
870
Session
2026-27
Related items
Department for Transport: Aviation
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Aviation Department for Transport
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk