Commercial Representatives

HC Deb 29 October 1986 vol 103 cc141-2W

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the number of his Department's staff serving abroad as commercial representatives for each year since 1979.

Mr. Alan Clark

Department of Trade and Industry staff serving abroad on loan to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at 31 March each year were as follows:

	Number
1979	32
1980	34
1981	34
1982	34
1983	31
1984	20
1985	19
1986	21

Note: Not all these staff would have been engaged wholly in commercial work.