Ministers slammed as government trade envoys run up £430,000 bill in three years
2 min read
Almost half a million pounds of public money has been splashed on overseas trade visits by MPs and peers in the past three years, it has emerged.
According to The Times, the full cost of international trips by the thirty-two politicians appointed by the Government to drum up trade since 2015 stands at more than £430,000.
Brexit critics said the figure raised "serious questions" about the Government's use of public money.
The cost of flights, hotels and other expenses for the envoys came to £143,227 in 2017-18, figures released under Freedom of Information laws show.
In 2016-17 the costs stood at £218,215, while in 2015-16 the figure was £70,854.
According to the Times, Conservative MP Richard Graham - who serves as an envoy to Indonesia, Malaysia and the Phillipines - made 11 trips to the region over the past three years, racking up more than £50,000 in costs.
Meanwhile Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Northover - who is the trade envoy to Angola and Zambia - has made eight visits since 2017, with a single four-day trip costing £16,298.
Seizing on the figures, Labour MP Owen Smith MP of the anti-Brexit Best for Britain campaign said: "Some serious questions need to be asked about the effectiveness of the Government’s trade envoys, so we can be reassured that the thousands of pounds of taxpayers money is doing more than boosting the use of champagne in business class lounges across the world.
He added: "Liam Fox [the International Trade Secretary] should do one useful thing while he’s in charge of trade, and review these roles immediately.
"And if the Government is serious about protecting Britain’s role as a trading nation then they should scrap their foolhardy plans to drag us out of the Single Market too.”
A spokesman for the Department of International Trade said trade envoys had played an "important role promoting the UK’s trade and investment priorities across the globe" since 2012.
They added: "Working with our regional trade commissioners and global network, and aligned with [the department’s] exports and investment strategies, trade envoys promote British business across the world, breaking down barriers to trade [and] seeking out export and investment opportunities."
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