Department for Transport: Aviation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Brazil; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether she assessed the potential merits of (a) conducting the engagements remotely and (b) combining the engagements with other travel.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
Two Department for Transport (DfT) officials, one at Grade 7 and one at Senior Executive Officer (SEO) grade, travelled to Brazil, in October 2025 at the total cost of £3201.14. They attended the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Working Group 5 on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), in their capacity as the UK’s nominated experts. The purpose of the visit was to participate in plenary discussions, which can be particularly valuable for progressing technical work, building professional relationships and enabling collaboration.
In a separate visit, a DfT official, at Grade 6, travelled to Brazil and Argentina between 22 and 26 April 2025 at the request of UK Embassies, costing £4568.37 for the combined trip. The purpose of the visit was to engage senior rail decision‑makers in Brazil, represent the UK at two exhibitions - NT Expo and Intermodal South America- and promote UK rail capability while sharing DfT policy expertise on decarbonisation, regulation and safety, supporting future commercial opportunities. During this trip the official represented DfT in Argentina, a priority market, at a UK Embassy Rail Technical Seminar, delivering a keynote address and meeting government and industry stakeholders as Argentina renews its rail network.
A third trip was supposed to take place by an official, at SEO level, but it was cancelled. The data provided included on the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, reflects scheduled flights and booking and does not reflect adjustment for flights that may have been cancelled or refunded after the initial booking.
All visits were approved by a Deputy Director (Senior Civil Servant), in accordance with departmental travel and expenses policy. The costs of the visits were met from existing departmental budgets. For all visits, the merits of conducting engagements remotely were considered, and travel was undertaken only where in‑person attendance was judged to add value. Where possible, engagements were combined within a single trip to maximise efficiency and reduce the overall need for international travel.
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