Ribble Valley MP tops political air miles chart (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Ribble Valley MP tops political air miles chart

6:50pm Tuesday 29th September 2009

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By Tom Moseley »

AN EAST Lancashire MP has been labelled Westminster’s most “frequent flyer” after clocking up numerous free trips around the world.

Nigel Evans has visited countries including Hong Kong, Malaysia and Kenya in recent years – all funded by taxpayers or third parties.

According to an invest-igation by Channel 4’s Dispatches team, the Conservative MP for Ribble Valley has made more than 50 foreign trips during the past 10 years.

Mr Evans is currently chairing a climate change conference in Tanzania.

But he issued a strong rebuttal through his spokesman, claiming the programme had been “highly biased” against the work carried out by committees of MPs on their trips abroad.

The Dispatches investigation claimed Mr Evans’ destinations since 2006 also included Canada, India, Tokyo, Cape Town and the Cayman Islands.

It said the day after the MP told the Commons that the 82-day recess this summer was for working in the constituency, he left on a free trip to India.

The programme focus-ed on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), of which Mr Evans is treasurer, which sent a delegation of MPs and peers – not inclu-ding Mr Evans – to the South Pacific during the summer recess on a fact-finding mission about global warming.

Notices were placed in the parliamentary newsletters advertising for places, it was revealed, and many MPs extend their trips into a holiday after-wards.

Mr Evans said he had written to Channel 4 boss Andy Duncan to complain about the programme.

He said he was “proud” of his work with the CPA, and had raised issues on poverty, climate change, and HIV during the past three years.

He said the group was now looking at the impact of the economic crisis on developing countries.

Mr Evans has recently signed up to the International Development Select Committee because of his “interest in human aid projects”, which led to a recent trip to India, he said.

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