§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONTo ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign. Affairs whether his attention has been directed to the fact that attachés to the 781 various embassies of the Empire have to pass an examination, and that after years of preparation and the successful passing of this examination these attachés have to serve for two years without pay or remuneration. Whether in any other Department in the public service such a rule exists; and seeing that at the termination of two years the salary is fixed at only £150 per annum, and considering that the expenses of Foreign Office attachés are greater than in any other Department of the Government, and, having regard to the nature of their duties, whether he will recommend the increase of their salaries.
(Answer.) It is the case that attachés in the Diplomatic Service have to serve for two years after appointment without pay or remuneration. We have no information to show that such a rule exists in any other Department of the public service. The question of granting salaries to attachés and increasing the remuneration assigned to third secretaries has on several occasions been raised, but it has not hitherto been thought desirable to make the change suggested.—(Foreign Office.)