Department for Transport: Aviation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of the flight to Kazakhstan; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
On two occasions a Grade 7 travelled to Kazakhstan, with the total cost of the trips being £3620.70. This was approved in line with departmental policy by a Senior Civil Servant within the Transport Security Directorate. One meeting was to assist in the delivery of a conflict zones regional training session delivered in partnership with the UN aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The second visit was at the invitation of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan to deliver a tailored risk assessment workshop to help Kazakhstan develop their capability in this area. DfT involvement in both events demonstrates the UK’s global leadership role in this area of work and delivered a clear security benefit. Neither event was suitable for remote attendance and there were no opportunities to combine this with other travel.
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