Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff from (a) his Department and (b) Homes England attended MIPIM international property conference 2018; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of their attending that event.

Four members of staff from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and eleven from Homes England attended MIPIM as part of a wider UK Government delegation led by the Department for International Trade. MHCLG contributed £50,000 to the DIT led HMG presence, and spent approximately £2,789.44 on staff transport, accommodation and subsistence. The cost to Homes England was £45,898.20.

MIPIM is attended by most cities and combined authorities in the UK, including Greater Manchester, Sheffield City Region, the Midlands, London, and Leeds City Region, all of whom had stands at the event and sent senior delegates. The conference therefore presents an opportunity for Government to engage with these local and combined authority leaders, and to support them in promoting the opportunities that exist within regeneration and infrastructure projects in their areas to global investors. The property sector has a crucial role to play in many of the UK Government’s and MHCLG’s priorities, including delivering new homes and communities and upgrading vital infrastructure. The UK remains a hugely attractive place to invest for the global property community and we are putting in place the policies needed to support domestic and international investment.

The Right Honourable member may remember from his time in the Department that it is common practice for officials to attend MIPIM events.