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14 Jan 2009 : Column 857W—continued
(d) three members of staff at band B3, five members of staff at band C4, four members of staff at band C5, 17 members of staff in band D6 , to study MBAs
(e) no members of staff to study PHDs.
In addition, it is possible that other directorates in the FCO have funded members of staff to complete courses relating to a specialist area, however we do not keep figures on this and gathering the information would incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on Ministerial hospitality in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08, expressed in current prices. [241240]
Gillian Merron: Government hospitality in protocol directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recorded the following expenditure on official hospitality for all Government Departments, including new stock purchased for the Government wine cellar, for the previous four financial years:
| £ | |
The FCO does not maintain a central record of other hospitality expenditure, and to provide this information would incur disproportionate cost. However, all FCO staff are bound by official guidance which ensures that the provision of food and beverages at public expense is appropriate and cost effective.
Departmental Pay
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. [244392]
Gillian Merron: All civil servants permanently employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) receive an annual salary. This is determined by a member of staff s grade, performance and, to some degree, length of service.
The FCO pays staff whom it employs directly on temporary contracts exactly the same rates of pay as permanent members of staff.
Some temporary staff are supplied by agencies. These staff are employed and paid by the agency concerned, which then charges a fee to the FCO. Individual agencies determine the rates of pay for their agency staff.
Departmental Secondment
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have (i) met and (ii) spoken on the telephone to representatives of (A) Anglo American plc, (B) BHP Billiton plc, (C) Rio Tinto plc, (D) Vedanta plc and (E) Xstrata plc since April 2007; and how many staff from each such company have been seconded to his Department in that period. [245891]
Gillian Merron: Information is not available on the number of occasions Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers and officials met or were consulted by telephone by representatives of these companies. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
No one from these companies has been seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since April 2007.
Diplomatic Service: Recruitment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria internal selection boards in his Department apply to the selection of heads of mission. [244253]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) number 1 and number 2 Selection Boards appoint heads of mission at senior civil service (SCS) level. Members are appointed by virtue of their position, without further criteria for membership of the selection boards. Members of the number 1 selection board are FCO board members, that is Directors-General of the FCO. One non-executive FCO board member also sits on the number 1 selection board. Membership of the number 2 selection board is drawn by rotation from the list of FCO Directors. FCO Directors and Directors-General are appointed to those positions on the basis of merit.
The Band D selection board appoints heads of mission in the delegated grades, that is those grades below the level of the senior civil service. This board is chaired by the Human Resources Assistant Director for Operations. Its members are volunteers at SCS level, who are required to have experience of working in our missions overseas as well as in UK positions. Their membership of the selection board is approved by the trade union side.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which towns his Department participated in (a) careers fairs and (b) community business events in order to extend the diversity among its recruits. [244271]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has participated in careers fairs at the following locations in 2007 and 2008. For the years previous to 2007, 1 refer to the answer of 6 November 2006, Official Report, column 838W on careers fairs.
| FCO attendance at careers fairs | ||
| Location | 2007 | 2008 |
FCO Services, a trading fund of the FCO, attended two careers fairs in Milton Keynes in 2008.
The Department has not participated in any community business events in order to extend the diversity of its recruits.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1763W, on the Diplomatic Service: public appointments, what outreach activities have been undertaken in the last 12 months. [244447]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes a targeted approach to outreach activities, aimed at broadening the diversity of our work force, including through a new positive action programme, the Partner University Placement Scheme (PUPS).
The partner universities are Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Kings College, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and University College London, and were chosen because they scored highly both in terms of academic achievement and ethnic diversity and/or social inclusion.
The FCO also participates in Cabinet Office diversity internships taking students from the Summer Development Programme (SDP) and the Summer Placement Scheme (SPS). The SDP is an internship for students from a minority ethnic background and the SPS is for students with a registered disability.
Two university work experience fairs at Durham and Kings College;
Four university careers fairs at Cambridge, Edinburgh, Bath and Kings College;
The National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition in Manchester.
FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the FCO, has attended two careers fairs in Milton Keynes.
These outreach activities were specifically targeted at the recruitment of candidates for vacancies and work experience schemes. All these events contained a strong message aimed at increasing the diversity base of those who apply for roles at the FCO.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for people appointed to senior posts in his Department on an ad hoc basis by selection boards appointed for the purpose in the last 12 months, how many went to (a) private school, (b) state school, (c) Oxford or Cambridge University and (d) other university. [244450]
Gillian Merron: Four members of staff at senior civil service level have been appointed in the last 12 months by open competition. Of these, two went to state school, one to public and one to both state and private schools. Three are Oxbridge graduates and one attended another university.
Embassies
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of staff are employed at the British Embassy in (a) Ottawa, (b) Washington, (c) Beijing, (d) Tokyo, (e) Sydney, (f) Johannesburg and (g) Delhi to work on correspondence; and what the average response time to written correspondence to each embassy was in the latest period for which figures are available. [242541]
Gillian Merron: Information on the number of staff employed at our embassies in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, at the high commission in New Delhi, at the trade and investment office in Johannesburg, and at the consulate general in Sydney working on correspondence, and the average response time to written correspondence, is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by the British Embassy in (a) Ottawa, (b) Washington, (c) Beijing, (d) Tokyo, (e) Sydney, (f) Johannesburg and (g) Delhi on stationery in each of the last five years. [242542]
Gillian Merron: Information on the cost of stationery in each of the last five years at our embassies in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, at the high commission in New Delhi, at the trade and investment office in Johannesburg, and at the consulate general in Sydney is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by the British Embassy in (a) Ottawa, (b) Washington, (c) Beijing, (d) Tokyo, (e) Sydney, (f) Johannesburg and (g) Delhi on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each of the last five years. [242543]
Gillian Merron: Details of the amount spent on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each of the last five years at our embassies in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, at the high commission in New Delhi, at the trade and investment office in Johannesburg and at the consulate general in Sydney is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many receptions held at the British Embassy in (a) Ottawa, (b) Washington, (c) Beijing, (d) Tokyo, (e) Sydney, (f) Johannesburg and (g) Delhi in each of the last five years were organised and funded by (i) trades unions, (ii) charities, (iii) businesses and (iv) other types of organisation; and what income each Embassy received from charges for the use of facilities for receptions in each of the last five years. [242544]
Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value is of the (a) wine and (b) other alcoholic drinks held in storage by the British Embassy in (i) Ottawa, (ii) Washington, (iii) Beijing, (iv) Tokyo, (v) Sydney, and (vi) Delhi. [242545]
Gillian Merron: Information on the value of wine and other alcoholic drinks held in storage at our embassies in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, at the high commission in New Delhi, at the trade and investment office in Johannesburg, and at the consulate general in Sydney is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on alcoholic drinks for receptions at the British Embassy in (a) Ottawa, (b) Washington, (c) Beijing, (d) Tokyo, (e) Sydney, (f) Johannesburg and (g) Delhi in each of the last five years. [242546]
Gillian Merron: Details of the amount spent on alcoholic drinks at our embassies in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, at the high commission in New Delhi, at the trade and investment office in Johannesburg, and at the consulate general in Sydney in each of the last five years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many receptions were held at the British Embassy in (a) Ottawa, (b) Washington, (c) Beijing, (d) Tokyo, (e) Sydney, (f) Johannesburg and (g) Delhi in each of the last five years. [242547]
Gillian Merron: Details of the number of receptions at our embassies in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, at the High Commission in Delhi, at the Trade and Investment Office in Johannesburg, and at the Consulate General in Sydney in each of the last five years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what self-assessment is carried out by the British Embassy in (a) Ottawa, (b) Washington, (c) Beijing, (d) Tokyo, (e) Sydney, (f) Johannesburg and (g) Delhi to avoid waste and promote efficient use of resources. [242559]
Gillian Merron: Effective financial monitoring and efficient use of resources is a high priority at all our posts overseas. The Head of Mission is responsible and accountable for oversight of the application of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's universal financial controls at that post, with the day to day management of post budgets being overseen by a management officer.
European Union: Civil Servants
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which personnel of the devolved administrations EU office personnel have been on training or educational programmes run by his Department in each year since the establishment of
each office; what the name of each programme was; and what the cost of each was. [242447]
Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ilois: Resettlement
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2008, Official Report, columns 699-700W, on Ilois: resettlement, when he expects the costs in the case of R (Bancoult) v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to be finalised; and if he will make public the information when it becomes available. [246288]
Gillian Merron: The costs of the respondent in the case of R (Bancoult) v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House of Lords on which judgment was given on 22 October 2008 have not yet been finalised. Subject to any unforeseen actions that arise in the court process, it is expected that the issue of costs be finalised in accordance with the applicable court procedures over the next few months. The information on costs will be made available to Parliament and to the public, assuming such disclosure is permitted by the courts.
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