SPECIFICATION FOR TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, AND RELATED SERVICES AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT PARTICIPATING IN THE OFFICIAL INTER-PARLIAMENTARY

Transcription

1 SPECIFICATION FOR TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, AND RELATED SERVICES AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT PARTICIPATING IN THE OFFICIAL INTER-PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL PROGRAMME

2 CONTENTS Clause Clause Clause 3 Clause 4 Clause 5 Clause 6 Clause 7 Clause 8 Clause 9 Clause 0 Clause Clause Clause 3 Clause 4 Clause 5 Clause 6 Clause 7 Clause 8 Clause 9 Clause 0 Clause Clause Clause 3 Part Preliminary provisions Purpose Who this document applies to What period this document applies to Legal nature of this document Definitions used in this document Cost to be met from Vote Entitlement to reimbursement Part Services Passports and visas Travel insurance Vaccinations and immunisations Photographs Travel bookings International air travel: Speaker or other presiding officer International air travel: members Air travel entitlements not taken up Departure taxes Accommodation expenses Incidental expenses Stopovers Study leave: travel, accommodation, and incidental expenses Members who do not have spouse or partner Responsibility for costs relating to spouse or partner Support person may be approved to meet travel needs of member in special circumstances

3 Part Preliminary provisions Purpose () The Office of the Clerk provides services to enable the House of Representatives and its committees to engage on global issues with inter-parliamentary organisations and other parliaments. These services include travel, accommodation, and related services to enable members to participate in this aspect of Parliament s work. () The participation by members in inter-parliamentary conferences, seminars, and delegations overseas, as representatives of the New Zealand Parliament, is organised by the Office of the Clerk through the official inter-parliamentary travel programme and funded through Vote: Office of the Clerk. (3) The purpose of this document is to set out the travel, accommodation, and related services available to members participating in the programme. Who this document applies to () This document applies to a member participating in the programme. () To qualify for participation in Commonwealth Parliamentary Association or Inter- Parliamentary Union visits, the member must be a current financial member of the New Zealand branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association or the New Zealand group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as the case may be; however, such membership is not necessary for other visits. 3 What period this document applies to () This document comes into force on July 007. () Each provision continues in force until it is revoked or replaced. (3) This document applies to all travel under the programme that starts on or after July 007. (4) To avoid doubt, nothing applies to accommodation or other entitlements related to travel under the programme where the travel started before July Legal nature of this document This document is a specification of some of the benefits and privileges to which section 5 of the Civil List Act 979 applies. 5 Definitions used in this document In this document, unless the context otherwise requires, day means a period of 4 hours family member includes a wife, husband, partner, or issue of a member IPR Secretariat means Inter-Parliamentary Relations Secretariat in the Office of the Clerk member means a person who is a member of Parliament most appropriate route means the route agreed by the Office of the Clerk as the most appropriate for the travel being undertaken partner means civil union partner or de facto partner presiding officer means (a) the Speaker; or

4 (b) the Deputy Speaker or Assistant Speaker when either of them participates in the programme on behalf of the Speaker private business purposes includes purposes on behalf of a person s own business interests, or on behalf of those of any other person, trust, company, or organisation programme means the official inter-parliamentary travel programme Speaker means the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 6 Cost to be met from Vote The cost of any service under this document is met fully from Vote: Office of the Clerk, except the cost of any fringe benefit tax, which is met from Vote: Parliamentary Service. 7 Entitlement to reimbursement () A member is entitled to be reimbursed for actual and reasonable costs incurred by the member in respect of any service under this document. () A member must produce evidence of the costs incurred in respect of the Office of the Clerk before any reimbursement may be made under this document. Part Services 8 Passports and visas () A member is entitled to have the standard processing costs for an official passport and visas met by the Office of the Clerk. () Members who do not submit a passport application within the number of working days required by the Department of Internal Affairs for the issue of an official passport must meet the cost of any additional passport fees payable in respect of the issue of the passport (for example, priority service fees and call-out fees). 9 Travel insurance A member is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual and reasonable costs of travel insurance appropriate to the programme visit destinations. 0 Vaccinations and immunisations A member is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual and reasonable costs of vaccinations or immunisations required for the programme visit destinations. Photographs A member is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual and reasonable costs of photographs advised by the IPR Secretariat to be required for the programme. Travel bookings () Travel bookings are normally made by the IPR Secretariat; however, a member may choose to use his or her own travel agent. () A member who uses his or her own travel agent must obtain a travel warrant from the IPR Secretariat setting out the cost of the airfare, calculated on the most appropriate route, that will be met by the Office of the Clerk.

5 3 International air travel: Speaker or other presiding officer () The Speaker or other presiding officer is entitled to (a) a first class airfare, calculated on the most appropriate route; and (b) a second first class airfare, calculated on the most appropriate route, to allow him or her to be accompanied on the visit by a spouse or partner. () The entitlement in subclause ()(b) (a) applies when the spouse or partner has a representational role; and (b) must not be used by that person for private business purposes. (3) For the purposes of this clause, and clause 4, a spouse or partner has a representational role when he or she has been formally invited by a conference organiser or host to participate in a conference or visit in the capacity of spouse or partner. 3 4 International air travel: members () A member is entitled to a business class airfare, calculated on the most appropriate route. () The Speaker may approve a visit on the basis of economy class travel. (3) A member may downgrade the entitlement to a business class airfare to economy class airfares, calculated on the most appropriate route, to enable the member s spouse or partner to accompany the member on the visit; however, if the cost of economy class airfares is more than the cost of business class airfare the member is responsible for the amount of the difference in cost. (4) The entitlement in subclause (3) (a) applies when the spouse or partner has a representational role; and (b) must not be used by the spouse or partner for private business purposes. (5) A member who downgrades the entitlement in subclause () is liable for any costs payable for baggage that exceeds the economy limit, including situations where the baggage contains official papers or gifts presented to the member. 5 Air travel entitlements not taken up Air travel entitlements not taken up by a member cannot be refunded or used to cover any other costs or expenses. 6 Departure taxes The airfare entitlements in clauses 3 and 4 cover the cost of departure taxes for (a) a presiding officer or member: (b) a presiding officer s spouse or partner, when the presiding officer is using the entitlement to a second first class airfare: (c) a member s spouse or partner, when the member is using the entitlement to a second economy class airfare. 7 Accommodation expenses () Actual and reasonable accommodation expenses are met by the Office of the Clerk when accommodation expenses are not met by the host. () The accommodation expenses may be paid by the delegation secretary from the Office of the Clerk, when he or she is participating in a visit. (3) In all other cases, a member is entitled to an advance, paid prior to his or her departure from New Zealand, to cover the estimated actual costs of accommodation

6 and identified expenses (for example, registration fees) for the visit. 8 Incidental expenses () A member is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual and reasonable incidental expenses, up to a maximum of $300 per day, incurred while participating in the programme. () The reimbursement is made after the visit is completed. 4 9 Stopovers () On an outward journey of more than 9 hours flying time by the most appropriate route, a member is entitled to a stopover or recovery period of up to 4 hours either (a) during the journey, at any convenient point in the allotted flying time after leaving New Zealand; or (b) immediately on arrival at the final destination. () On a return journey of more than 9 hours flying time by the most appropriate route, a member is entitled to a stopover or recovery period of up to 4 hours during the journey, at any convenient point in the allotted flying time immediately after leaving the destination and before returning to New Zealand. (3) The Speaker may approve a member having a stopover or recovery period on an outward journey as provided in subclause (), or on a return journey as provided in subclause (), when the journey is 9 hours flying time or less by the most appropriate route if the Speaker is satisfied that special circumstances relating to the member or the travel being undertaken make it necessary or desirable that the member have a stopover or recovery period. (4) Before his or her departure from New Zealand, a member is entitled to be paid an advance of an amount equivalent to the estimated actual cost of accommodation required for the stopover or recovery period. (5) A member is also entitled to be reimbursed for actual and reasonable incidental expenses, up to a maximum of $300 per day, incurred during the stopover or recovery period. (6) The reimbursement is made after the visit is completed. 0 Study leave: travel, accommodation, and incidental expenses () A member undertaking study leave in association with the programme and who complies with the requirements in subclause () is entitled to (a) downgrade the entitlement in clause 4() to a business class airfare to an economy class airfare in order to travel for the study leave; and (b) have the costs referred to in clauses 8, 9, 0, and 6(a) also met in relation to the travel for study leave; and (c) be reimbursed, up to a maximum amount in aggregate of $400 per day, for actual and reasonable accommodation and incidental expenses incurred for up to 7 days of the study leave. () The requirements are (a) the Speaker must provide interim approval of the member s study programme prior to the member s departure from New Zealand; and (b) the member must provide a copy of the completed programme of study to the Speaker on his or her return to New Zealand. (3) To avoid doubt, clauses 7 and 8 do not apply to the period a member is undertaking

7 study leave in association with the programme. 5 Members who do not have spouse or partner () If a member has neither a spouse nor a partner, the member may nominate to the Speaker a family member to become eligible for the entitlements of a spouse or partner under clauses 3()(b), 4(3), and 6(b) and (c). () If the Speaker approves the nomination, the entitlements in those clauses apply to that family member as if he or she were a spouse or partner, and every reference in this document to a spouse or partner must be read as it were a reference to that family member. Responsibility for costs relating to spouse or partner All costs and expenses relating to a spouse or partner accompanying a member on a visit are the responsibility of the member, including (a) costs and expenses relating to the items in clauses 7 to and 7 to 0 for a spouse or partner; and (b) costs and expenses charged by a conference organiser or host for a spouse or partner. 3 Support person may be approved to meet travel needs of member in special circumstances () The Speaker may approve a support person to travel with a member if the Speaker is satisfied that there are special circumstances relating to the member (for example, where the member has a physical or sensory impairment) that result in the need for him or her to be accompanied by a support person in order to be able to travel as a participant in the programme. () In the case of the Speaker, approval for him or her to be accompanied by a support person under this clause must be given by the Leader of the House. (3) Clauses 7 to, 4(), and 6 to 9 (which concern costs and expenses met by the Office of the Clerk) apply to a support person approved under this clause as if every reference to a member were a reference to the support person. (4) The Leader of the House or the Speaker, as the case may be, may approve the support person travelling first class where (a) the Leader of the House or the Speaker approves a support person to travel with the Speaker or other presiding officer; and (b) he or she is satisfied that by reason of the special circumstances applying to the Speaker or other presiding officer it is necessary for him or her to be accompanied by the support person in the same cabin on international air travel. Dated at Wellington this day of 007. Signed by the Honourable Margaret Wilson Speaker of the House of Representatives

8 6 Explanatory Note This document, which comes into force on July 007, sets out the travel, accommodation, and related services available to members of Parliament participating in the official interparliamentary travel programme.