Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Rebecca Smith (Conservative) on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. A substantive answer was provided by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 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 WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of the flight to Kazakhstan; 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

On two occasions a Grade 7 travelled to Kazakhstan, with the total cost of the trips being £3620.70. This was approved in line with departmental policy by a Senior Civil Servant within the Transport Security Directorate. One meeting was to assist in the delivery of a conflict zones regional training session delivered in partnership with the UN aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The second visit was at the invitation of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan to deliver a tailored risk assessment workshop to help Kazakhstan develop their capability in this area. DfT involvement in both events demonstrates the UK’s global leadership role in this area of work and delivered a clear security benefit. Neither event was suitable for remote attendance and there were no opportunities to combine this with other travel.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
913
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