HC Deb 18 July 1977 vol 935 cc374-7W
Mr. David Walder

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the current levels of expense allowances which are permitted at each of the diplomatic posts within the NATO alliance and the EEC.

Mr. Tomlinson

Diplomatic Service officers do not receive "expense allowances" in the sense that this term is used in the private sector. While posted overseas, they receive various allowances which are paid at many different rates to officers of different grades and in different circumstances. The following table shows the annual amounts per head currently authorised for payment in allowances to married officers of the diplomatic ranks indicated in the posts concerned. Educational allowances which are related to the family circumstances of the officer and not to his grade or post, are not included.

Column 1 Column2
Allowancest† Maximum EntertainmentExpenses§
£ £
ANKARA
Ambassador 9,049‡ 5,239
Minister
Counsellor 6,044 1,926
First Secretary(Grade 5) 5,130 1,380
Second Secretary 4,235 719
Third Secretary 3,829 480
ATHENS
Ambassador 8,589‡ 9,437
Minister
Counsellor 8,848 2,572
First Secretary(Grade 5) 6,495 1,493
Second Secretary 5,213 719
Third Secretary 4,687 511
BONN
Ambassador 11,796‡ 22,903
Minister* 20,270 4,375
Counsellor* 9,614 2,962
First Secretary*(Grade 5) 6,575 1,427
Second Secretary 5,546 355
Third Secretary 4,932 394
BRUSSELS (Embassy)
Ambassador 15,187‡ 11,259
Minister
Counsellor 9,018 2,890
First Secretary(Grade 5) 7,170 2,042
Second Secretary 5,738 704
Third Secretary 5,113 704
BRUSSELS (Permanent Representation to the European Communities)
Ambassador 12,088‡ 11,414
Minister* 12,776 5,328
Counsellor* 8,461 2,218
First Secretary*(Grade 5) 6,935 1,246
Second Secretary* 5,563 988
Third Secretary 4,972 988
BRUSSELS (United Kingdom Delegation to NATO)
Ambassador 9,525‡ 7,221
Minister 14,971 4,308
Counsellor* 8,585 2,342
First Secretary*(Grade 5) 7,122 1,102
Second Secretary* 5,730 928
Third Secretary 5,084 928
COPENHAGEN
Ambassador 12,460‡ 7,178
Minister
Counsellor* 9,229 3,090
First Secretary(Grade 5) 7,903 1,681
Second Secretary 6,545 1,003
Third Secretary 6,088 843

Column 1 Column 2
Allowancest† Maximum Entertainment Expenses§
£ £
DUBLIN
Ambassador 6,6201‡ 8,399
Minister
Counsellor 7,044 1,562
First Secretary(Grade 5) 4,669 984
Second Secretary 3,951 384
Third Secretary 3,804 353
THE HAGUE
Ambassador 14,191‡ 10,383
Minister
Counsellor* 10,526 3,464
First Secretary(Grade 5) 8,226 1,914
Second Secretary 6,387 691
Third Secretary 5,609 495
LISBON
Ambassador 12,655‡ 5,041
Minister
Counsellor 7,677 2,438
First Secretary(Grade 5) 6,108 1,420
Second Secretary 4,890 844
Third Secretary 4,444 767
LUXEMBOURG
Ambassador 7,103‡ 4,660
Minister
Counsellor
First Secretary(Grade 5) 7,320 2,047
Second Secretary 5,663 1,022
Third Secretary 5,157 1,022
OSLO
Ambassador 9,894‡ 6,636
Minister
Counsellor 7,620 1,694
First Secretary(Grade 5) 7,183 1,092
Second Secretary 6,122 592
Third Secretary
OTTAWA
High Commissioner 12,649‡ 6,197
Minister 12,215 3,158
Counsellor* 8,150 6,076
First Secretary*(Grade 5) 7,368 1,300
Second Secretary* 6,132 619
Third Secretary 5,724 562
PARIS
Ambassador 35,932‡ 18,899
Minister* 15,184 5,617
Counsellor* 6,079 3,473
First Secretary*(Grade 5) 4,919 2,426
Second Secretary* 3,792 839
Third Secretary 3,573 1,258
ROME
Ambassador 7,176‡ 11,591
Minister 9,270 2,902
Counsellor* 8,306 2,976
First Secretary*(Grade 5) 6,312 1,165
Second Secretary* 4,906 474
Third Secretary 4,218 364

Column 1 Column 2
Allowancest† Maximum Entertainment Expenses§
£ £
REYKJAVIK
Ambassador 3,298‡ 3,256
Minister
Counsellor
First Secretary(Grade 5) 6,268 1,289
Second Secretary 5,332 931
Third Secretary
WASHINGTON
Ambassador 29,835‡ 16,414
Minister* 18,296 4,854
Counsellor* 10,727 8,912
First Secretary*(Grade 5) 8,713 1,565
Second Secretary* 6,909 582
Third Secretary 6,194 662
* Average amounts payable to staff at these levels.
† The allowances in Column 1 are designed to help staff to meet the extra cost of living abroad and to provide them with the means to carry out the representational aspects of their duties.
‡ The wages of staff employed at Ambassadors residences are paid direct from public funds and not through the Ambassadors' allowances.
§ Column 2 shows the maximum amounts which-are payable by way of reimbursement of entertainment expenses. In many cases the amount actually spent is less than the amount shown in the table.

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