HC Deb 19 November 1965 vol 720 cc106-8W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which British embassies abroad have officers with scientific or technological qualifications; and which embassies have officers with recent experience of industry recruited from sources other than the Foreign Office.

Mr. George Thomson

There are Scientific Attaches in the following Embassies:

  • Bonn.
  • Copenhagen (Resident at Stockholm).
  • Helsinki (Resident at Stockholm).
  • Manila (Resident at Tokyo).
  • Moscow.
  • Oslo (Resident at Stockholm).
  • Paris.
  • Rangoon (Resident at New Delhi).
  • Stockholm.
  • Tokyo.
  • Vienna (Resident at Bonn).
  • Washington (2).
There are specialist Attachés in the following Embassies and Missions:

Beirut (Middle East Development Division)

  • 2 Engineering and Industrial Attachés.
  • 1 Agricultural Attaché.
  • 1 Forestry and Soil Conservation Attaché.

Buenos Aires

  • 2 Veterinary Attachés.

Brussels (United Kingdom Delegation to the European Communities)

  • Counsellor (Agricultural).
  • Atomic Energy Attaché.

Copenhagen

  • First Secretary (Agricultural) and Food.

Geneva (U.K. Delegation to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade).

  • First Secretary Agriculture.

Paris

  • Agricultural and Food Attaché.

Rome

  • Counsellor Agriculture.

The Hague

  • First Secretary Agriculture and Food.

Washington

  • Minister Defence Research.
  • Counsellor Defence Research.
  • Assistant Defence Research Attaché.
  • Counsellor Petroleum.
  • Counsellor Agriculture and Food.
  • Counsellor Atomic Energy.
At most Embassies there are Service Attachés, some of whom have scientific and technological qualifications, and in a number of posts there are also Civil Air, Labour and Shipping Attachés. The following posts abroad have Diplomatic Service officers with scientific or technological qualifications:—
  • Addis Ababa.
  • Belgrade.
  • Bonn.
  • Elisabethville.
  • Lisbon.
  • Manila.
  • New York.
  • Osaka.
  • Peking.
  • Vientiane.
 At the following Embassies there are United Kingdom-based officers who have been recruited direct from industry or commerce within the past five years:—
  • Baghdad.
  • Bangkok.
  • Brasilia.
  • Havana.
  • Katmandu.
  • Manila.
  • Montevideo.
  • Oslo.
  • Rangoon.
  • The Hague.
  • Vientiane.

There are also large numbers of commercial officers recruited locally who for the most part have had commercial or industrial experience in the countries concerned.

In addition, my hon. Friend may like to know that over two hundred officers in representational grades of the Diplomatic Service, including five Ambassadors, have had previous commercial or industrial experience. Moreover, the Supplementary Open Competition for entry to the administrative grades of the Diplomatic Service, the age limits for which are normally between 27 and 35, gives preference to those with special qualifications, which includes a knowledge of economic, commercial or financial matters.

Finally, officers engaged in commercial and economic work in our Embassies abroad receive special training arranged through the Board of Trade, which includes instruction by industrial and commercial firms. And arrange- ments are made from time to time for officers to be seconded to industry for periods of up to a year.