Information Released in Response to an FOI Request
| Title | Minister for Parliamentary Business - visit to New Zealand |
| Description | Details of the Parliamentary Business Minister's visit to New Zealand. |
| Publication Date | December 01, 2006 |
| Charge | Free. |
Note: If you have difficulty accessing the documents on this page and would like copies in a different format, please e-mail foi@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Detailed Costs of the Trip
- The costs for the flights associated with the visit (Ms Curran was accompanied by 2 officials and a Special Adviser) were £19,000
- The New Zealand Government paid for Ministerial transport in Wellington and Auckland and meals
- The High Commissioner provided accommodation and hospitality in Wellington
- The Mayor's office in Dunedin paid for transport, meals and entertainment
- The British High Commission in Wellington paid for hotels in Dunedin and Auckland and internal flights. The Scottish Executive will be invoiced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for these costs. This process takes some time and the detailed information on this point is not currently held
Programme of Events
The final programme of events provided by the British High Commission in New Zealand is enclosed.
The Aims of the Visit
Ms Curran was invited as a guest of the New Zealand Government to see the operation of a different form of a devolved and coalition government and the Executive's role within those different models.
Ms. Curran, in her capacity as Parliamentary Business Manager, met a range of politicians and parliamentary officials with the aim of gaining an improved understanding of how the New Zealand system of government works. It is the responsibility of the Minister for Parliament to look at other models of government and New Zealand offers an interesting comparator.
There are striking similarities and clearly established historic and ancestral ties between Scotland and New Zealand. Both have a unicameral system with strong committees scrutinising legislation and coalition governments elected under a proportional voting system.
This was a fact-finding trip but also an opportunity to share some of the Scottish Executive's experiences of the last seven years and highlight how devolution has delivered for a modern Scotland - culturally, economically and through legislative change.
Ms Curran was interested to learn more about how New Zealand handles 2 of her other portfolio responsibilities - Civic Participation and Freedom of Information and met with officials in Wellington to discuss both subjects.
The Minister also met with a range of business leaders - many of whom have existing businesses in Scotland or are interested in setting up here. In Dunedin the Minister built on existing links with the Scottish diaspora. This was a welcome opportunity to promote Scotland to a lucrative market and Ms Curran undertook a series of interviews with the local and national media. In-bound tourism from New Zealand to Scotland was worth £17 million pounds last year.