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Special Advisers

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number and expected cost to his Department of special advisers in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [43279]

Mr. Bradshaw: As at 13 March 2002, there were two special advisers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Prime Minister has announced the introduction of a revised pay system for special advisers based on individual job evaluation. The process of evaluation is currently under way and the cost will be provided once the process is completed.

Unpaid Advisers

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of the unpaid advisers appointed by him and his predecessor since June 1997, stating in each case (a) the date of their appointment, (b) the duration of their appointment and (c) the project or projects on which they have been engaged. [43376]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 25 March. 2002]: Dr. David Mathieson was appointed in line with the requirements of paragraph 51 of the Ministerial Code as

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unpaid adviser to the then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, from May 1997 to June 2001. He was an adviser with special responsibilities for media matters involving party political matters. The current Foreign Secretary has appointed no unpaid adviser.

Press and Public Relations

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people were employed in a press or public relations function in his Department on 1 January in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001 and (f) 2002. [39939]

Mr. Bradshaw: The numbers of staff employed in this function in London are:















In addition, there are currently 144 UK based staff and 144.41 locally engaged staff who spend 50 to 100 per cent. of their time covering this function in FCO posts abroad. The figures for previous years are not available without incurring disproportionate costs.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press releases were issued by his Department (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive. [40033]

Mr. Straw: The number of press bulletins issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the period specified is:


The figures include a daily bulletin of ministerial engagements and announcements and other press releases. The daily bulletin may contain a number of announcements. All Foreign Office press releases, including statements and speeches by Ministers, can be read on our website at www.fco.gov.uk.

Visitor Visa Appeals

Mr. Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the new arrangements for the payment of visitor visa appeals were implemented in all posts. [34886]

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Mr. Bradshaw: I am not aware of any new arrangements beyond those introduced on 2 October 2000 following the introduction of the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act.

Civil Servants

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 years and over. [36489]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 25 February. 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 879W. More detailed information on the civil service is published annually in "Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Payments

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the instances in which his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2000–01. [32026]

Mr. MacShane: In 2000–01 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office failed to pay some 2.2 per cent. of valid invoices within 30 days of receipt or the agreed contract terms where these differ. The failure rate has been cut by 0.4 per cent. (15 per cent.) since 1998–99.

Access to Information

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the administrative manuals and internal guidance which his Department has made public as required by Part 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and which of these were first made available after May 1997. [45397]

Mr. MacShane: Administrative manuals and internal guidances made public as required by Part 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information are as listed. This list may not be fully comprehensive. Not all the information requested is centrally recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.











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Entertainment Costs

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how much was spent by departmental special advisers on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes in each of the last five years; [46841]

Mr. MacShane: Total cost of entertainment for each of the last five years was as follows:

Year£
1997–9810,298,909.00
1998–999,314,853.00
1999–200011,228,371.00
2000–0113,102,685.15
2001–02(7)11,842,869.29

(7) To date, books not closed for 2001–02


Entertainment expenditure covers a wide range of activities from entertaining individuals to dinner receptions for Government Ministers and high level visitors and other events to establish and cultivate contacts. All are undertaken in pursuit of FCO objectives, both in the UK and in our posts overseas.

A more detailed analysis of entertainment to show the information requested about food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks is not possible without incurring disproportionate cost.

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times special advisers have accompanied Ministers on overseas visits in each of the last five years; which countries were visited; and what the total cost of each individual visit was. [47134]

Mr. MacShane: For information on overseas travel by special advisers for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2001, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Collins) on 20 March 2002, Official Report, column 385W.

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Information on overseas travel for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible. All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, and Civil Service Management Code.

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times Ministers in his Department have travelled abroad at taxpayers' expense since March 2001; what countries they visited; and what the total cost of each visit was. [47106]

Mr. MacShane: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. The 1999 list contained information on all such visits undertaken from 2 May 1997 to 31 April 1999. Details of travel undertaken in the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible.

All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

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