LONDON (AFX) - Downing Street on Sunday refused to reveal who paid for Tony Blair's family vacation in the Caribbean, amid a growing row over the cost of the British Prime Minister's luxury holiday.
Three yachts were chartered to take the Blair family and their entourage on a five-day cruise.
The Mail on Sunday reported that two of the yachts were hired to carry Blair's security team, at an estimated cost of 1,620 stg a day.
The weekly paper reported that last month, the Blairs spent three weeks living the billionnaire lifestyle in a luxurious villa in Barbados, detailing links with wealthy businessmen.
Now Blair is facing questions about whether he himself, a third party or the taxpayer picked up the bill. His annual salary is 183,932 stg.
Conservative opposition leader of the parliamentary House of Commons, Chris Grayling, said he would be lodging a request for details under the Freedom of Information Act.
"The Prime Minister needs to have proper security. But I'm not at all persuaded that hiring luxury yachts on behalf of the security services to travel with the Prime Minister while he is on a luxury cruise is a good use of taxpayers' money," Grayling said.
"Clearly there are things you cannot realistically do as Prime Minister because they are going to incur disproportionate costs."
A Downing Street spokesman would say only: "We will register those interests that need to be registered with the proper authorities."
The Blairs habit of taking luxury holidays at the invitation of businessmen has become an annual source of debate in Britain.
cac/pvh/jfr
COPYRIGHT
Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.
AFX News and the AFX Financial News logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com
Three yachts were chartered to take the Blair family and their entourage on a five-day cruise.
The Mail on Sunday reported that two of the yachts were hired to carry Blair's security team, at an estimated cost of 1,620 stg a day.
The weekly paper reported that last month, the Blairs spent three weeks living the billionnaire lifestyle in a luxurious villa in Barbados, detailing links with wealthy businessmen.
Now Blair is facing questions about whether he himself, a third party or the taxpayer picked up the bill. His annual salary is 183,932 stg.
Conservative opposition leader of the parliamentary House of Commons, Chris Grayling, said he would be lodging a request for details under the Freedom of Information Act.
"The Prime Minister needs to have proper security. But I'm not at all persuaded that hiring luxury yachts on behalf of the security services to travel with the Prime Minister while he is on a luxury cruise is a good use of taxpayers' money," Grayling said.
"Clearly there are things you cannot realistically do as Prime Minister because they are going to incur disproportionate costs."
A Downing Street spokesman would say only: "We will register those interests that need to be registered with the proper authorities."
The Blairs habit of taking luxury holidays at the invitation of businessmen has become an annual source of debate in Britain.
cac/pvh/jfr
COPYRIGHT
Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.
AFX News and the AFX Financial News logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com
© 2005 AFX News