His officials initially denied that his travel was for medical reasons, but last week they admitted that he had had a cataract operation.

There are plenty more out there who need the cataract operation.

During the long wait for a cataract operation he relied on her eye to tell him when his colours were out.

He went through a new cataract operation in 1999, this time without medical complications.

They said that the money wasted could pay for 38,838 hip replacements, 310,706 cataract operations or 5,349 nurses for a year.