§ Mr. Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of (a) the normal working time and (b) what would normally have been the free time of (i) Ministers and officials of his Department and (ii) the ambassador and other members of the staff of the British embassy in Paris, has been diverted to and spent on matters relating to the disorders connected with the international boxing match in France at the end of February or with the international football match in Paris at the beginning of March; and whether he will give an estimate of the cost of this work done by his Department and the embassy.
§ Mr. WhitneyMinisters and officials of my Department spent about 40 hours of working time and five hours of what would normally have been free time, and the ambassador and other members of the staff of the British embassy in Paris spent about 106 hours on matters relating to the disorders connected with the international football match in Paris on 29 February. The cost of this working time, up to 13 March, is estimated to have been approximately £3,350 sterling.
No staff time either in London or Paris was spent on matters relating to the international boxing match in Paris on 25 February.