House of Commons - Foreign Affairs - Second Report

House of Commons portcullis

House of Commons

Session 2005-06
Publications on the internet
Foreign Affairs Committee Publications

Foreign Affairs - Second Report

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 15 February 2006.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Report
Conclusions and recommendations
1 Introduction

Background to the inquiry
Form of the annual Departmental Report and related papers
Assessing performance
A year of two presidencies

2 Transparency and openness

Relations with Parliament
Freedom of Information (FoI)
Classified PSA scorecards

3 Efficiency and effectiveness

The Collinson Grant Report
Management
Leadership
Project management
Financial management
Performance review
Staff
The need for professional skills
Efficiency measures directly affecting staff
Prism
Other IT projects
'Rationalising' the home estate
Reinvesting efficiency savings
Conclusion: the FCO's response to Collinson Grant

4 Consular Services

Emergency response
The Indian Ocean tsunami
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Paying the bills
Conclusion

5 Diplomatic representation overseas

'Alternative representation'
The overseas estate

6 FCO personnel issues

Security of FCO personnel
Disciplinary procedures
Publication of memoirs
Senior diplomatic appointments
Diversity

7 BBC Monitoring

Formal minutes
List of witnesses
List of written evidence
Reports and Evidence from the Foreign Affairs Committee since 2005

© Parliamentary copyright 2006
Prepared 8 March 2006