Senator Chris Evans: The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question: (1) The information supplied under Question on Notice 117-119 for Representational Allowance was the amount paid to officers within the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) as a fortnightly allowance. Actual expenses must be acquitted biannually with any unused allowance paid back to the DMO at the end of an officer's posting. Actual expenses incurred over the same period for the five Washington based Defence Materiel officers are as follows: Table 1 Defence Materiel Washington Representation Expenditure 1 July 2010 — 31 December 2010 Date Location Purpose Cost $United States Dollar 13 July Embassy US DoD Roundtable with SA Deputy Premier $56.00 28 July Residence Dinner at Counsellor Materiel's Residence for DoD OSD(AT&L) Armaments Co-operation Guests $424.60 30 July Residence Dinner at Counsellor Materiel's Residence for US Department of State & UK Embassy guests $254.74 31 July Embassy Embassy Hospitality Events Annual Membership – Defence Materiel Attaché $150.00 1 August Embassy Embassy Hospitality Events Annual Membership—Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Project Officer $150.00 6 August Rosslyn Air Force International Affairs liaison $201.00 10 August Arlington Defence Technology Security Administration liaison $148.00 16 August Embassy Embassy Hospitality Events Annual Membership -MinCondMAT $150.00 1 September Arlington SAGA Membership—Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Project Officer $80.00 1 September Arlington Function for US DoD officials at Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Office $250.00 9 September Washington Function for Dept of State, DoD, UK MoD for Trade Treaty Liaison $115.00 14 October Ottawa Function with Canadian National Defence officials $142.00 29 October Crystal City US DoD Materiel Co-operation liaison $48.00 23 November Swiss Embassy Co host MOU Attaché & Foreign Procurement Group $277.25 1 December Arlington Function for US DoD officials at ESSM Office $60.00 (2) See (1) above. (1) Representational funds assist the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) members posted on long term duty overseas to meet the costs of officially entertaining host country nationals. The sole purpose of providing such hospitality is to enable ADO members to conduct Australian and Defence business more efficiently and effectively. (2) General Manager Commercial, Defence Materiel Organisation or Head of Australian Defence Staff Washington.