Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s enabling agreement with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd. for the provision of public sector air capability (reference CCYZ20A01), what number of (a) club, (b) business and (c) economy seats were provided in the configuration for the A321neoLR plane wet-leased from Titan Airways between the periods (i) 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, (ii) 4 April to 8 June 2022, and (iii) 1 October 2022 to 1 September 2023.

The reconfiguration of seating arrangements enabled greater passenger capacity and more versatile seating. These efficiencies have allowed larger delegations, such as for trips to key international summits, to travel on a single flight. Delegations frequently include members of the media.

The MSN 10238 airframe does not have any club seats within its configuration.

More broadly, I would note that foreign travel is a vital part of diplomacy. It is in the national interest that Government Ministers and delegations can travel abroad to pursue UK interests and develop international relationships through closer economic, security and development ties. This has been the case under successive administrations of all parties. Information on the cost of overseas Ministerial travel is routinely published on gov.uk (including the number of officials who accompanied the Minister if non-scheduled travel was used).

Given the Rt Hon Member’s keen interest in overseas travel, I would also point her and her staff to the frequent use of non-scheduled / charter flights under the last Labour Government, including by Gordon Brown

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-overseas-travel