SECRECY still surrounds the scheduled absence of Chief Minister Mike Torode from the British-Irish Council meeting on Monday. He released a statement yesterday once again refusing to divulge the nature of the engagement he was attending rather than the Belfast summit, at which new prime minister Gordon Brown is expected.

Deputy Torode remained of the opinion that his already-arranged meeting should take priority and that it would be unhelpful at present to disclose the nature of it.

But it has emerged that Treasury and Resources minister Lyndon Trott will be at the same engagement.

Speaking from Gatwick on his way back to the island yesterday, Deputy Trott confirmed he would be accompanying Deputy Torode, but he, too, would not reveal any details about the meeting or say why it had not been made public.

‘It’s a very important meeting,’ said Deputy Trott.

‘But it is up to Mike Torode as chief minister to say what his engagements are.’

Deputy Chief Minister Stuart Falla will instead attend the BIC meeting. Deputy Torode will be the only Crown Dependency leader not there.

By contrast, Jersey’s Chief Minister Frank Walker is eagerly looking forward to it. He had earlier said the chance to meet the new PM was ‘an opportunity that simply cannot be missed’.

Other Policy Council members were also in the dark.

Culture and Leisure minister Peter Sirett and Health and Social Services minister Peter Roffey both said they had no idea what engagement deputies Torode and Trott would be attending.

‘I don’t know what it might be,’ said Deputy Roffey.

‘If I knew what it was and I had been told not to tell you, then I would say that, but the truth is I honestly don’t know.’

Housing minister Dave Jones did not see the chief minister’s absence as a big deal.

‘I don’t know what his diary is, but I don’t see the problem because the deputy chief minister is going anyway.

‘I think the British-Irish Council meeting was scheduled as a last-minute thing so that’s why it has probably clashed with something else.’