In relation to the Centenary of Federation celebrations held in the United Kingdom in early July 2000:

(1) What is the total cost of the preparations for and implementation of these celebrations, including arrangements for the Prime Minister's party.

(2) In relation to travel to and from the United Kingdom, did the Prime Minister's party use RAAF aircraft, a chartered flight, or scheduled international services.

(3) What class of air travel was used for the members of the Prime Minister's party.

(4) (a) How many members of the Prime Minister's personal staff accompanied the party; and (b) what was is the final cost of their travel, travel allowance and other costs.

(5) (a) What is the final cost of accommodation for the members of the Prime Ministerial party; (b) what were the standards of accommodation for the party; and (c) what were the name of each hotel used.

(6) (a) What travel or other allowances were paid to members of the Prime Ministerial party; and (b) what is the total cost of these allowances.

(7) What is the total cost of travel within the United Kingdom by the Prime Ministerial party and what specific costs were incurred through: (a) use of High Commission vehicles; (b) hire of other vehicles; (c) domestic air travel; (d) taxis; and (e) public transport.

I am advised by my department as follows:

The answers to the questions below are based on payments made as at 1 November 2000. A relatively small number of accounts have not yet been presented for payment and some expenditure has yet to be acquitted. Where final costs are not known, the answers to the questions below include an estimate of the final costs. Costs and other information in relation to the Prime Minister and his immediate party (office staff and officials) include travel for the Indian component of the Prime Minister's overseas visit. This additional cost is estimated at around $20,000.

None of the responses below includes information about the Prime Minister's security detail. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) advises that the AFP involvement relates to close personal protection for the Prime Minister. It is established practice not to disclose information that may impinge upon operational security. Appropriate AFP resources were deployed and costs were met from within AFP's appropriations. The estimated costs also do not include any costs for the Chief Justice of the High Court and his wife as the Chief Justice was attending conferences in both the USA and UK and there were no additional costs incurred because of his participation in Australia Week activities.

(1) The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts will provide advice on the whole of government costs for the Australia Week celebrations in response to Questions on Notice Nos. 2172 - 2190.

The estimated total cost for the Prime Minister's party of 18 (which is similar in size to parties that have accompanied Prime Ministers on overseas trips in the past), comprising the Prime Minister and Mrs Howard, nine PMO staff, Dr Killer, the High Commissioner designate and five PM&C officials, and the associated official delegation of 31 comprising the Deputy Prime Minister, Mrs Anderson and two staff, the Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation, Mrs McGauran and one staff and one official from his department, the President, Mr Reid and one staff, the Speaker, Mrs Andrew and one staff, Senator Lees and Mr Mitchell (whose costs were met out of Senator Lees's Parliamentary study leave entitlements), Sir John and Lady Gorton, Mr and Mrs Whitlam, Mr and Mrs Fraser, Mr Hawke and Ms d'Alpuget, the Chief Justice and Mrs Gleeson and five members of the National Council for the Centenary of Federation) is $968,560.

(2) Members of the Prime Minister's party and official delegation travelled using scheduled international services.

(3) Of the party and accompanying delegation, twenty-one members of the party travelled first class on all sectors of the journey; nine members of the party travelled business class on all sectors; two members of the party travelled economy class on all sectors; the remaining seventeen members of the party travelled using a mix of first and/or business and/or economy on different sectors.

(4) (a) Nine.

(b) The estimated cost of Prime Minister's Office staff travel and other costs is $266,167.

(5) (a) The cost of accommodation for the Prime Minister's party and delegation, including a small amount for meals and incidental expenses incurred by some members which cannot be disaggregated, is $354,708.

(b) Members of the party and delegation stayed in suites, standard rooms, serviced apartments, and in a family room.

(c) Members of the Prime Minister's party and delegation stayed at the following hotels: Claridges, the Millenium Britannia Hotel, the Thistle Charing Cross, the Strand Palace Hotel, the Hyatt Carlton Towers, the Admiral Hotel, the Trafalgar Orion Hotel, the Royal Horseguards Hotel, the Royal Overseas League, and the Travellers Club.

(6) (a) Travel, accommodation, meals and incidentals allowances were paid according to relevant entitlements. Allowances for former Prime Ministers Gorton, Whitlam, Fraser and Hawke and their wives were based on ministerial entitlements.

(b) $23,446 has been paid in advances and allowances.

(7) (a) As is usual with ministerial visits, the Australian High Commission in London made vehicles available from time to time during the Prime Minister's visit. These costs are absorbed into normal High Commission running costs.

(b), (d) and (e) Separation of costs by type of transport is not available. The estimated cost for internal transport is $120,428.

(c) Nil.