§ Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those initiatives of his Department which have been of benefit to women, since 1979, the cost or estimated cost of these initiatives, and the proportion of the total budget of his Department this represents.
§ Mr. EggarThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office has taken a range of initiatives in accordance with its obligations as an equal opportunities employer. These include appointing equal opportunity officers, more flexible working arrangements and regular review consultations with the trade union side.
The Overseas Development Administration has taken a number of initiatives which are described in a recently published ODA booklet "Women in Development and the British Aid Programme" which also describes a number of projects involving or affecting women, and the spending involved. This booklet is available in the House of Commons Library.
It is not possible to estimate the cost of these initiatives.