The Premier took eight overseas trips on the public purse in order to attend to Government business, according to the answers to an Opposition Parliamentary question posed last month.

The total Cabinet travel bill was $373,963 for the 12 months ending November 1, according to reports filed by 11 Government Ministers.

The Premier's eight trips accounted for more than $90,000 in Government spending but as the Premier was accompanied on seven of those trips by Chief of Staff, Senator Lt. Col. David Burch, Cabinet Secretary John Drinkwater on two and Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans on one, her personal travel total rang in at $37,611.

The Premier's most expensive overseas mission was an $8,035 trip to Manchester for the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Sen. Burch accompanied the Premier on that trip, spending $7,135.

A second trip to London in which Sen. Burch, Dame Lois and Mr. Drinkwater all travelled together was the most costly overall trip, ringing in at $34,101.39 altogether.

The Premier took two trips to Nassau, Bahamas, on the first occasion travelling with Sen. Burch and the second flying solo - costing $7,591.69 and $3,856 respectively.

Premier Smith and Sen. Burch also travelled to a CARICOM meeting in Georgetown, Guyana ($9,225.87) as well as to New Orleans ($8,249.57), Washington, DC ($8,238.14 including Mr. Drinkwater's expenses) and Kingston, Jamaica ($3,829.91).

The travel expense details were submitted to Parliament in response to written questions from Opposition Shadow Ministers to their Government counterparts.

The Royal Gazette reported earlier on the travel reports from a number of PLP Cabinet Ministers - Terry Lister (six trips, $68,645 including travel of Ministry staffers), Renee Webb (five trips, $45,381 with accompanying staff), Eugene Cox (five trips, $43,384 with staff travel), Randy Horton (five trips, $21,945, accompanied on two).

A number of Ministers - Paula Cox of Education, Alex Scott of Works and Engineering and Minister without Portfolio Neletha Butterfield - reported no overseas trips on the tax payers' purse at all over the past year.

Expense reports for Environment Minister Dennis Lister, Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome and Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown were included in the most recent Parliamentary minutes.

Of the three Ministers, Mr. Bascome spent the most money on travel between November 1, 2001 and October 31, 2002 with five trips totalling $49,018.88.

He was accompanied on two of those trips by Health and Social Services Permanent Secretary Dr. Derrick Binns.

The two travelled to the Airborne Initiative in Edinburgh, Scotland ($19,167 combined) and the Labour Party Conference in Blackbool, UK ($10,786.94).

Mr. Bascome attended the CARICOM meeting in Georgetown, Guyana ($7,683.56) along with the Premier and Sen. Burch.

He also reported trips to the World Bank in Washington, DC ($1,936.75) and the Southlake Health Clinic in Canada ($439.65).

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown reported the greatest number of trips at ten, spending a total of $32,669.93.

Dr. Brown reported that the Airport General Manager and Director of Civil Aviation accompanied him on one trip each and the others were solo.

The Transport Minister made four trips to Washington ($13,535.59) as well as journeys to Boston ($2,469), Atlanta ($3,395.49), San Juan, Puerto Rico ($5,203.10), Philadelphia ($1,865.40), Miami ($2,704.80) and New York ($3,496.55).

Environment Minister Dennis Lister took just two overseas trips, spending $32,104.24. He was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Brian Rowlinson on both trips.

The two men travelled to the World Environmental Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa ($20,649.42) and the Labour Party conference in Blackpool, UK ($11,454.83).

Opposition MP Max Burgess noted last night that the the party was still waiting for an accounting of the travel of late Tourism Minister David Allen as well as details from the Attorney General.

He said the UBP will be making comment on the numbers when they have a full accounting from Cabinet.