Scottish Conservative conference (FOI)

Request

Jersey's government held a reception at the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen on the weekend of Friday 3 May to Saturday 4 May.

A

What was the total cost of holding this reception?

B

From which department's budget did this money come?

C

How many people attended?

D

Please provide a list of all the refreshments available to delegates (eg number of bottles of wine, brand of wine, number of bottles of soft drink, brand of soft drink, type of food and so on)

E

What steps were taken to ensure value for money when organising this reception?

F

Why was the decision taken to hold a reception, rather than arrange meetings with members of the UK government?

G

The States of Jersey has recently agreed to aim to become carbon neutral by 2030. What steps, if any, were taken to minimise the reception's environmental impact?

H

How many people were in Jersey's delegation? (ministers and officers)

I

What was the total cost of sending a Jersey delegation to the Scottish Conservative conference, including the cost of holding the reception? (Please provide a list of hotel, flight and expenses costs)

Response

A

£1,995.86 (venue hire £1,800 and refreshments £195.86).

B

Ministry of External Relations.

C

This information is not recorded.

D

One sparkling mineral water 750ml (brand not specified).

One still mineral water 750ml (brand not specified).

Two litres fresh orange juice (brand not specified).

Four house white wine 70cl (brand not specified).

Four house red wine 70cl (brand not specified).

E

The following steps were taken to ensure value for money:

• used existing promotional materials (banners, toys, pens) from Jersey London Office

• did not provide food to guests

• did not send out invitations at separate cost, instead using free listing in conference handbook

• included in the cost of hosting the reception was one free delegate pass for a Government of Jersey representative, which otherwise would have cost £125

• refreshments provided were options offered by the approved Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre caterers, and were selected as offering the best possible value for money

F

Meetings at the conference also included private bilateral meetings between Government of Jersey and UK Government Ministers. The reception allowed Government of Jersey to reach a wider political audience and focus on awareness raising across a larger number of delegates and key stakeholders, whereas individual bilateral meetings will necessarily involve more detailed discussions about government relations and policy. Both of these aspects form an integral part of the Government of Jersey’s UK engagement strategy.

G

The following steps were taken to minimise the reception's environmental impact:

• All refreshments were provided in glasses rather than disposable plastics

• reduced paper usage following decision not send out formal invitations via post

H

Four delegates (two Ministers and two Officers)

I