PM splashes out on special gifts - 20/07/09

World leaders continue to lavish gifts on one another even in spite of the global recession, details released by Downing Street have shown.

An icon painting, an electronic book and a model fishing boat from the president of the Maldives were among the many gifts received by Gordon Brown last year.

In return, the equally-generous Prime Minister offered gifts of pens, glassware, books and a framed football programme when leaders met.

These tokens were published on the annual gifts' list, which documents all presents worth more than £140 given and received by UK ministers.

Relevant Whitehall departments have retained all the gifts except for one - an iPod given to an unnamed junior justice minister which the minister paid to keep. The gifts have now been used for official hospitality purposes or donated to charity.

The only member of Government listed as giving gifts above the £140 cut-off was Gordon Brown. However, many of his colleagues received presents above the £140 value.

Among these colleagues were Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his team, who picked up a wide range of gifts during their globe-trotting work.

PM splashes out on special gifts - 20/07/09

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