§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officers travelled first class to their posts abroad in the last year because of(a) their grade and (b) operational reasons.
§ Mr. GoodladIn the 12 months to January 1993, 13 officers travelled first class from London to their posts abroad or returned to London from their posts abroad. One officer travelled first class by virtue of his grade, and 12 for operational reasons.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many diplomatic service officers travelled first class to posts abroad in the last year; at what cost; and in how many cases the families of such officers travelled in first class.
§ Mr. GoodladIn the 12 months to January 1993, 13 diplomatic service officers travelled first class from London to their posts abroad, or returned to London from their posts abroad, and the total cost was £25,046. Nine officers were accompanied by their families, who also travelled first class: the total cost of the family fares was£18,697. In addition, private secretaries and advisers accompanying Ministers, and officers of the rank of deputy under-secretary or above may travel first class on duty journeys.
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§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many return air tickets, per year, and of what class, are allocated to diplomatic service officers serving abroad for use by their dependants; and what is the maximum number of tickets available to each family each year.
§ Mr. GoodladDependants at post have the same entitlements as officers. The entitlement for return air tickets allocated to diplomatic service officers serving abroad for use by their dependants is related to the difficulty of the post, and there are basically three categories: the least difficult posts—62—where representational officers and their dependants serve for four years with one fare-paid leave, and non-representational officers for 30 months with no fare-paid leave; the intermediate category—51 posts—where officers serve for three years with one fare-paid leave after 18 months, and the most difficult posts—85—where officers serve for up to three years with a fare-paid leave after each 12 months of duty. For such mid-tour leave journeys, the class of travel is dependent on the time taken to fly to post. For journeys of less than two and a half hours economy class is used. For journeys over two and a half hours, business class. Very senior officers—those of the rank of deputy undersecretary or above—have an entitlement to travel in a superior class by virtue of their grade.
In addition, officers at most non-European posts—145—receive an extra economy class fare for each posting of at least three years, and in countries—55—with special difficulties, a contribution towards an annual short local trip outside the country of posting. The class of, and contribution towards, such journeys is based on economy class fares. Also, children at school in the United Kingdom may fly to post for three holidays per annum, by the cheapest possible means.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance has been set, and when, regarding the type of air ticket to which diplomatic service officers and their families are entitled.
§ Mr. GoodladHer Majesty's Treasury's guidance regarding the type of air ticket was set in the "Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code", recently superseded by the "Civil Service Management Code". It applies to all civil servants, including diplomatic service officers and their families. The last major revision of entitlements was in 1982 when new fare structures were introduced by the airlines.
In summary, all civil servants including diplomatic service officers, normally travel in economy class on journeys of up to two and a half hours. On official duty, and on transfer and mid-tour leave, they travel in business class on journeys over two and a half hours. On other leave journeys provided at the more difficult posts, they travel economy class. The same rules apply to the families of officers. Children who fly to post from school in the United Kingdom for the three main school holidays fly by the cheapest possible means. Very senior officers—those of the rank of deputy under-secretary or above—may sometimes travel in a higher class than those indicated above, by virtue of their grade or for operational reasons.