Ministerial special advisers have made 587 official trips abroad at a cost of over £767,000 it was claimed yesterday.

Commons questions tabled by Conservative MP, Andrew Tyrie, reveal that Tony Blair has twice made overseas trips with special advisers without taking civil servants, as is more usual.

At last January's World Economic Forum in Davos he was accompanied by press secretary Alastair Campbell, chief of staff Jonathan Powell and David Miliband, head of the Number 10 policy unit.