§ 20. Lieut.-Colonel A. POWNALLasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it has been found possible 655 to dispense with the services of the extra 25 temporary higher division clerks and junior assistants, at a cost of £10,000, as recommended by the Geddes Report?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Cecil Harmsworth)The actual recommendation of the Committee was to the effect that, in view of the increase in the authorised staff of the Foreign Office, the continued employment of temporary higher division officers should not be necessary. This recommendation was based on a comparison between the present authorised establishment of 75 and an establishment of 43 "before the War." But the latter figure represents the staff before the South African War and not immediately before the War of 1914–18. Some confusion appears to have arisen between the two wars. I have no doubt that the hon. and gallant Member will appreciate the difficulty of carrying out a recommendation based on a comparison of this kind. The higher division staff just before the War of 1914–18 numbered 54. The present authorised staff, therefore, represents an increase of under 40 per cent., while the increase in the work of the Foreign Office since 1913, as indicated by the number of papers dealt with, is over 140 per cent. So long as the volume of work continues to be of this magnitude owing to the present activity and complication of international affairs, some temporary addition to the higher division staff will probably be necessary; but the possibility of effecting reductions will be kept in mind, and it is in fact anticipated that some diminution of the temporary staff may be possible during the current financial year.