TNAG-1108-FCO40-1359-Ministerial-and-official-visits-to-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 52

CODE 18.77

Mr McQuade HKGD K 247

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6427/5

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PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION: MINISTERIAL VISITS TO DEPENDENCIES

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1. We were discussing the information you require in order to be able to answer thePQ for written answer put down by Mr Ian Mills MP, and we agreed the following: -

(a) PCD could only provide firm information on visits to Dependencies made by the Prime Minister and FCO Ministers, since these are the Ministers for whom we make travel arrangements. We receive details of projected visits overseas by Ministers from other Departments in the course of our responsibility for the Ministerial Visits Committee, but there is no mechanism for Departments to inform us whether these visits have in fact taken place. The visits by non-FCO Ministers listed below will therefore have to be checked either with the FCO geographical department concerned or with the Parent Departments concerned.

(b) You would not be looking to us to provide details of visits by officials to these territories. By far the largest number would in any event probably be sent by the ODA and the relevant geographical departments of the ODA would be the best source. However in the time available for answering this PQ this would probably not be possible.

(c) The period we would cover in our answers would be January 1981 to April 1982 inclusive. We would also list the projected ministerial visits to these territories over the next six to eight months.

2. A list of visits based on the information we have available here is therefore attached but I must emphasize that there could still be visits which slip through our net and are not notified to us but of which geographical departments are aware. I would therefore suggest that the other recipients of this minute check the list against their own records of ministerial visits to their respective areas.

6 May 1982

Michael Hears.

M M Hall

Conference and Visits Section Protocol and Conference Department

Cc: Assistants: Parliamentary Unit

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