§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual budget of the Foreign Policy Centre; what proportion is charged to public funds; and if he will list the source of private funding. [57585]
§ Mr. Robin CookThe Foreign Policy Centre is an independent foreign policy institute. The Centre's annual budget and contributions are matters for the Foreign Policy Centre. None of the Foreign Policy Centre's budget is charged to public funds.
§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the proposed annual salary of the Director Designate of the Foreign Policy Centre. [57584]
§ Mr. Robin CookThe Foreign Policy Centre is an independent foreign policy institute. The Director Designate' s salary is a matter for the Foreign Policy Centre.
§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the advantages of the policy input available from the Foreign Policy Centre relative to that from(a) his Department's (i) Policy Board, (ii) Policy Planning Unit, (iii) Research Department, (iv) High Commissioners, Ambassadors and overseas missions and (v) London-based desk offices, (b) his special advisers, (c) the intelligence services, (d) other Government departments, (e) the Royal Institute of International Affairs and (f) other academic institutions for the study of international affairs. [57590]
§ Mr. Robin CookIt is established practice for Foreign Office officials and Ministers to have contact with a wide range of policy institutes and NGOs and to consider their views when developing policy. These contacts occur at all levels of the Foreign Office and are an important and valued part of the policy making process. Policy institutes and NGOs contribute to a wider public debate which can also influence policy. The nature of these contacts means it is not possible to assess the influence of one particular policy institute in isolation from other institutes.