§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36201]
§ Mr. BradshawAll FCO staff are entitled to paid leave to undertake union duties. About 50 members of staff are members of union or branch committees. Information on the number of days taken is not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. In the British Council the total cost for union activities is approximately £23,000 per year in each of the last four years.