Overseas travel by councillors or council officials. - Find a freedom of information request

This is an information request relating to overseas travel by councillors or council officials.

Please include the information for each of the following financial years: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22.

1. The total annual spend by the council on overseas travel.

2. A breakdown of expenditure on overseas travel. Please include:

a. Destination.

b. Length of trip.

c. Number of officials involved.

d. The name and address of the hotel(s) booked.

e. The flights booked, including which class.

f. Purpose of trip.

g. Expenses for food, drink, taxis (please, where possible, provide receipts).

h. Please make clear whether a trip was fully funded by the council, only part funded, or was fully funded by an external body. If funded by an external body, please make clear which body.

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council.

I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

Information held is has been provided per service area and there may be some overlap.

1. 2019 - £6,417.60

2020 - £0

2021 - £0

2022 - £0

Employees 2019 Trip 1 – No cost to LCC -fully funded by Lincolnshire Music Service

a. Hunan Province (Changsha).

b. Monday 11 November – Friday 15 November 2019.

c. 2 staff from Lincolnshire Music Service.

d. Intercontinental Hotel £547.21 (total for 2 rooms).

e. 2 Economy Flights Hainan Airline £950.44.

f. The purpose of the trip was to explore the potential of a Cultural Education Exchange between the Hunan – Lincolnshire regions as part of the established sister relationship.

g. Heathrow Airport Car Parking £139. All other food was provided without charge.

h. LMS is a traded service and receives funding from the Department for Education (DfE). LMS does not receive a grant from LCC other than in-kind support. The trip was fully funded by LMS.

Trip 2 Overall cost to LCC - £0.00 – fully funded by ISAR

a. Alberta, Canada.

b. 19 – 27 January 2019.

c. 1 – from Lincolnshire Fire Service.

d. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

e. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

f. Arduous Conditions Course To expose UK ISAR team members to extreme (cold) conditions. • To introduce personal survival skills and extensive wide area search operations. • To demonstrate interoperability with other Search & Rescue personnel including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

g. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

h. Funded by UK ISAR.

Trip 3 Overall cost to LCC - £0.00 – Fully funded by EU Civil Protection Mechanism

a. Zagreb, Croatia.

b. 4 - 8 February 2019.

c. 1 – from Lincolnshire Fire Service.

d. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

e. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

f. Introduce the participants to the disaster management principles as well as the legal framework for humanitarian aid and civil protection

g.This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

h. Funded by EU Civil Protection Mechanism

Trip 4 Overall cost to LCC - £0.00 - fully funded by ISAR

a. Sicily, Italy.

b. 14 – 20 July 2019.

c. 6 – from Lincolnshire Fire Service.

d. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

e. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

f. EU Exercise testing international response to a simulated Earthquake. Part of UKISAR Reclassification preparation ready for 2021.

g. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

h. Funded by UK ISAR.

Place & Investment MIPIM March 2019 Overall cost to LCC - £0.00 – Fully funded by Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership

1. The total annual spend by the council on overseas travel for MIPIM in March 2019 = £0.00 Net (with LEP Funding and business sponsorship). The total annual spend by the council on overseas travel for MIPIM in March 2019 = £8,546.49 Gross.

2. a. Cannes, France.

b. 5 Days.

c. Three Lincolnshire County Council officers attended on behalf of Team Lincolnshire and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and one Councillor.

d. Hotel PLM and Hotel Carolina, Cannes. Beau Rivage, Nice. Councillor paid for own hotel accommodation in Nice (IBIS).

e. Ryanair Economy.

f. To support the Inward Investment Strategy of the region and bring new investment into the region.

g. Lincolnshire County Council does not hold this information.

h. Cost of MIPIM is fully funded by a Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and sponsorship from Team Lincolnshire businesses therefore, there was no cost to Lincolnshire County Council

Economic Growth

1. The total annual spend by the council on overseas travel.

2. A breakdown of expenditure on overseas travel.

Please include: Destination: Trip 1 Cost - £15,307.00 £9,975 grant received from FCDO Overall cost to LCC - £5332.00

a. Hunan, China (2 trips).

b. Nov 2019 (3 nights) and July 2019 (2 nights)

c. July Trip: 2 staff members. November Trip: 2 councillors and 2 staff members.

d. Intercontinental Hotel, Changsha

e. All flights booked with Hainan Airlines, economy class. Funded partially by Foreign & Commonwealth development Office as shown in (h).

Trip 2 -Total cost for trips 2,3 and 4 - £2713.99 60% - £1628.39 (interreg contribution) Overall cost to LCC = £1,085.60 (40% contribution)

a. Helmond, Netherlands.

b. 5/6 Oct 2019.

c. 2 staff members.

d. Fletcher Wellness Hotel.

e. All flights booked with Flybe, economy class. 40% funded by LCC / 60% by Interreg.

Trip 3

a. Kortrijk, Netherlands.

b. 14 & 15 May 2019.

c. 1 staff member.

d. IBIS Budget Leuven Centrum.

e. All flights booked with Flybe, economy class. 40% funded by LCC / 60% by Interreg.

Trip 4

a. Leuven, Belgium (1 trip).

b. 15 – 17 Oct 2019.

c. 2 staff members

d. IBIS Budget Leuven Centrum.

e. Eurostar economy class. 40% funded by LCC / 60% by Interreg.

Trip 1 - 2020 Overall cost to LCC - £0.00- Fully funded by EU Civil Protection Mechanism

a. Alberta, Canada.

b. 15– 24 February 2020.

c. 1 – from Lincolnshire Fire Service.

d. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

e. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*

. f. Arduous Conditions Course.

g. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

h. Funded by EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Trip 2 Overall cost to LCC - £0.00 – Fully funded by ISAR

a. Villejust, Paris, France.

b. 2 – 6 March 2020.

c. 1 – from Lincolnshire Fire Service.

d. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

e. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

f. UKISAR Canine International Exercise.

g. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

h. Funded by UK ISAR. 2021

No trips recorded 2022

Overall cost to LCC - £0.00- Fully funded and managed centrally through Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (National Resilience Lead).

a. Kosovo.

b. 1– 5 March 2022.

c. 1 – from Lincolnshire Fire Service.

d. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

e. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

f. Disaster Assessment Response Team Exercise.

g. This information is not held by Lincolnshire County Council*.

h. Funded by UK ISAR.

*Information not held as these trips for UKISAR were fully funded and managed centrally through Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service as the lead authority for National Resilience.

MIPIM March 2022 Overall cost to LCC - £0.00- Fully funded by Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership

1. The total annual spend by the council on overseas travel for MIPIM in March 2022 = £0.00 Net (with LEP Funding). The total annual spend by the council on overseas travel for MIPIM in March 2022 = £5,463.78 Gross - 0.00038% of the Gross Total Lincolnshire County Council budget.

2. a. Cannes, France.

b. 13 – 17 March (2 officers), 14 – 16 March (1 Cllr).

c. Two Lincolnshire County Council officers attended on behalf of Team Lincolnshire and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership. One Councillor joined the event by taking a break from his personal holiday and the only cost incurred was his train ticket and hotel accommodation.

d. Hotel PLM, Cannes.

e. Flights Ryanair Economy.

f. Support the Inward Investment Strategy of the region and bring new investment into the region. This included connecting with companies and key decision makers that can help:

• Support our food sector growth in logistics, cool chain and warehousing developments.

• Grow our commercial and residential offer - particularly those demonstrating sustainability and high-quality developments.

• Support our city and town investment opportunities including green energy solutions, alternative utility providers and hoteliers.

• Support the growth of our key sectors.

g. • Accommodation (Hotel PLM, Cannes) = £3408.00.

• Flights Ryanair Economy = £334.90.

• Delegate Passes = £5278.75.

• Sponsorship of Events = £967.00.

• Airport Transfers & Car Parking = £341.00.

• Travel Insurance = £32.00.

• Expenses = £208.13.

• 2020 Event Venue Refund = -£5106.

h. Cost of MIPIM is fully funded by a Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and therefore, there was no cost to Lincolnshire County Council