Total cost of controversial States South African trip: £44k

Wednesday 06 July 2016

Their fully-flexible, business class flights sparked a review of all States travel spending - but now the full cost of a trip taken by two senior civil servants to a mining conference in South Africa has been revealed.

The response to a recent request under the Freedom of Information law, shows that the total cost of the trip was just over £44,000, with the flights totalling just £12,000 of that. The highest cost was actually booking, designing and building the conference stand itself, which totalled £22,543; followed by two full page ads in 'Mining Indaba News', costing £4332.

In February this year, Economic Development Chief Officer, Mike King, and Locate Jersey Director, Wayne Gallichan, traveled to South Africa to promote the Island at an important mining sector conference; but they got into trouble on their return, after it emerged they had booked fully-flexible business class tickets, Mr King had travelled with his golf clubs, and they had both played a round on the day of their arrival. Mr King later apologised to tax-payers. 

Here's a full breakdown of the trip costs:

Exhibition attendance and stand cost: £18,156.78

Stand design and build: £4,386.42

Brochure holders: £56.77

Brochure design and print: £2,720.75

2 x full page inserts in Mining Indaba news: £4,332.00

Courier of marketing collateral to and from Cape Town: £388.50

Flights: £12,340.40

Hotel: £1,857.96

Transfers and transport: £77.61

Subsistence: £82.20

The pair haven't faced any disciplinary action after a review found they weren't breaking any rules and last week Mr King defended his department's record at a Public Affairs Scrutiny Panel hearing.

He said that his department has reduced its travel expenses significantly over the last three years – from £136,000 in 2013 to £74,000 last year – and always fell within its travel budget targets. And Mr King said that over the same time period, the business attracted to Jersey through EDD’s work brought in a tax yield for Jersey of £16 million.

The States have subsequently revealed that almost £400,000 has been spent on flights costing more than £1,000 over the last five years. The most expensive flight on the list was a £6,852 trip to Hong Kong in 2011 for Colin Powell, the “Adviser – International Affairs” from the Chief Minister’s department.