Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team has issued guidance on whether Ministers can claim a proportion of their travel and accommodation costs in relation to family holidays overseas if they conduct some element of official business during their trip.

The Ministerial Code sets out principles relating to ministerial travel for official business. Section 10.1 of the Ministerial Code states that “Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost‑effective travel arrangements. Official transport should not normally be used for travel arrangements arising from party or private business, except where this is justified on security grounds.” Section 10.4 states “When ministers travel on official business, their travel expenses should be borne by the departmental vote.”

Furthermore, section 8.13 of the Ministerial Code notes that “If a minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present (for example, at a social occasion or on holiday) any significant content should be passed back to the department as soon as possible after the event.”