Margaret Beckett has taken her husband, Leo, on eight foreign trips lasting a total of 27 days since becoming Foreign Secretary in May, The Times has learnt.

The revelation has prompted criticism from MPs, who say that there does not appear to be any valid reason for Mr Beckett to accompany his wife at taxpayers’ expense so often.

Mrs Beckett’s predecessors, Robin Cook and Jack Straw, were “occasionally” accompanied overseas by their wives, the Foreign Office said yesterday. And a former Tory Europe Minister has told The Times that he was allowed to take his wife on only one trip a year.

Now the Foreign Office is facing questions over the status of Mr Beckett, who is paid from his wife’s parliamentary allowance to work on constituency matters but also regularly turns up at the Foreign Office to help his wife with government business.

The Ministerial Code says that the travel costs of spouses can be paid occasionally from public funds but there are no rules for advisers paid from the parliamentary allowance.

Mr Beckett, 79, a retired engineer, married Mrs Beckett 27 years ago and works in her House of Commons office as chief of staff. A spokeswoman declined to say whether he was there in his capacity as adviser or as a spouse. “He provides advice and support as a member of her full-time staff. I don’t want to be specific. He is a bit of a one-off,” she said.

Today Mr Beckett will return on a first-class flight from an eight-day trip to India, accompanying his wife around Delhi and Bombay at taxpayers’ expense.

An aide who was accompanying the Foreign Secretary on the trip said that Mr Beckett had attended meetings with overseas officials but was not giving policy advice. “There are officials for that — he helps in more practical ways.”

Since Mrs Beckett, 63, was appointed in May, her husband has accompanied her on eight of her 19 trips, visiting the US three times, Brazil, Mexico, Germany and Eastern Europe. A spokeswoman said that she would not reveal which of the trips, other than the one to India, were paid from departmental funds until July when official figures are released.

She said: “Leo Beckett is employed by Margaret Beckett and continues to provide advice and support as a member of her full-time staff, as he has done for more than 20 years. His overseas travel is agreed by Downing Street.”

The approach of the Foreign Office is in stark contrast to what happened during Mrs Beckett’s time at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where in 2002 officials said that Mr Beckett would have to pay the travel costs of a trip to Bali himself.

The Foreign Secretary has the highest bill for staff costs of any MP, with Mr Beckett paid a share of his wife’s £99,589 allowance.

David Heathcoat-Amory, a former Tory Europe Minister, who serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “When we were allowed one foreign trip a year, [Labour ministers] tore up all the rules. They make the rules for themselves. Leo should not be going unless there is some proven reason — and just being a husband is not good enough.”

The Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said: “I think it would be wise if Mr Beckett’s status could be clarified. There may be a case for spouses to accompany a minister when they are away for a long time, but I think that such trips should be the exception rather than the rule.”

TRAVEL PARTNER

Leo Beckett’s trips since his wife became Foreign Secretary in May:

May New York for 24 hours

June Brazil for 72 hours

July Washington and Chicago for 48 hours

Sept UN General Assembly, New York, for 5 days

Oct Berlin overnight

Oct Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for 3 days

Oct Mexico for 3 days

Nov India for 8 nights

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