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Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what work the Africa Directorate is planning to outsource in 200506; and what criteria are used to decide which work is outsourced; [17409]
(2) what the Africa Directorate budget was in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005; [17413]
(3) how many people were employed in British embassies in Africa in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005; [17415]
(4) whether he plans to recruit additional staff to the Africa Directorate. [17442]
Ian Pearson: Since 2002 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has increased its financial and human resources in Africa. The budget of the FCO's Africa Directorate rose from £35.1million in the financial year 200203 to £48.8 million in the current financial year (FY 200506). The budget for FY 200607 has not yet been finalised. The overall numbers of staff (FCO and locally engaged) employed in our posts in Africa increased from 2,221 in 2002 to 2,509 in 2005.
There have been reductions in the overall numbers of staff in Africa Directorate in London as part of the broader reorganisation of the FCO to deliver the FCO's international strategy and to meet efficiency targets. The Directorate currently has 54 staff. There are no present plans to increase this. But in addition to staff in Africa Directorate itself, many other FCO personnel in London also work on Africa, including on counter-terrorism, sustainable development and human rights.
The FCO and Africa Directorate regularly review the numbers, grading, functions and location of FCO staff in Africa in order to ensure the effective delivery of the Government's strategic priorities and value for money. Some posts in Africa contract out a number of services such as guarding, cleaning and estate maintenance. There are currently no plans to outsource any of the Directorate's core activities in the region.
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Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will increase the budget of the African Directorate within the Department; [18531]
(2) for what reasons the staffing of the African Directorate has been reduced; and what steps are planned to review the effectiveness of the new arrangements; [18536]
(3) what criteria will be used by the African Directorate to determine in which African countries the UK has the most significant interests. [18537]
Ian Pearson: Since 2002 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has increased its financial and human resources in Africa. The budget of the FCO's Africa Directorate rose from £35.1 million in the financial year 200203 to £48.8 million in the current financial year (FY 200506). The budget for FY 200607 has not yet been finalised. The overall numbers of staff (FCO and locally engaged) employed in our posts in Africa increased from 2,221 in 2002 to 2,509 in 2005.
There have been reductions in the overall numbers of staff in Africa Directorate in London as part of the broader reorganisation of the FCO to deliver the FCO's international strategy and to meet efficiency targets. The Directorate currently has 54 staff. There are no present plans to increase this. But in addition to staff in Africa Directorate itself, many other FCO personnel in London also work on Africa, including on counter-terrorism, sustainable development and human rights.
The FCO and Africa Directorate regularly review the numbers, grading, functions and location of FCO staff in Africa in order to ensure the effective delivery of the Government's strategic priorities and value for money. Some posts in Africa contract out a number of services such as guarding, cleaning and estate maintenance. There are currently no plans to outsource any of the Directorate's core activities in the region.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan about protecting the lives and property of the minority Ahmiddiya Muslims in the country, with particular reference to the shootings at the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Mundi Bahauddin on 9 October; and if he will make a statement. [19350]
Dr. Howells: We regularly make known our concerns on the treatment of religious minorities, including Ahmiddiya Muslims, to the Government of Pakistan. We believe that collective action through the European Union is the most effective way of tackling these issues. The most recent European Union demarche to the Pakistani authorities of 20 June 2005 on human rights included the treatment of religious minorities. We have not made any specific representations regarding the shootings at the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Mundi Bahauddin on 9 October.
The United Kingdom condemns instances where individuals are persecuted because of their faith, wherever it happens and whatever the religion of the
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individual or group concerned. We take a serious view of religious persecution in Pakistan and work with officials, religious leaders and non-governmental organisations at both international and local level to promote mutual understanding and tolerance.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ambassadors and high commissioners do not have a good working knowledge of the primary language of the country to which they are posted; and if he will make a statement. [17313]
Mr. Straw: Save in posts where the primary language is English, all ambassadors and high commissioners are given language training before taking up their posts, usually to refresh existing language skills, to enable them to carry out essential business and representational work. We assess that at least 94 per cent. of them have a good knowledge of the working or at least one of the common working languages of the country to which they are posted. Many of our heads of mission in posts where hard languages are spoken will have qualifications to extensive level from their previous postings to those countries.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals are (a) being detained pre-conviction and (b) in detention serving sentences in (i) Egypt, (ii) Jordan, (iii) Turkey, (iv) Syria, (v) Lebanon, (vi) Iraq, (vii) Iran, (viii) Israel, (ix) Algeria, (x) Morocco, (xi) Libya, (xii) Tunisia, (xiii) Pakistan, (xiv) Nigeria, (xv) Sudan, (xvi) Ethiopia, (xvii) Saudi Arabia, (xviii) Oman, (xix) Yemen, (xx) Kuwait and (xxi) United Arab Emirates. [19501]
Dr. Howells: On 30 September 2005, we were aware of the following numbers of British nationals detained pre-conviction and in detention serving sentences:
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people were employed in (a) Africa Command and (b) the Africa Directorate in each year between 2002 and 2005. [17642]
Ian Pearson: Since 2002 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has increased its financial and human resources in Africa. The budget of the FCO's Africa Directorate rose from £35.1million in the financial year 200203 to £48.8 million in the current financial year (FY 200506). The budget for FY 200607 has not yet been finalised. The overall numbers of staff (FCO and locally engaged) employed in our posts in Africa increased from 2,221 in 2002 to 2,509 in 2005.
There have been reductions in the overall numbers of staff in Africa Directorate in London as part of the broader reorganisation of the FCO to deliver the FCO's international strategy and to meet efficiency targets. The Directorate currently has 54 staff. There are no present plans to increase this. But in addition to staff in Africa Directorate itself, many other FCO personnel in London also work on Africa, including on counter-terrorism, sustainable development and human rights.
The FCO and Africa Directorate regularly review the numbers, grading, functions and location of FCO staff in Africa in order to ensure the effective delivery of the Government's strategic priorities and value for money. Some posts in Africa contract out a number of services such as guarding, cleaning and estate maintenance. There are currently no plans to outsource any of the Directorate's core activities in the region.
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