§ Mr. J. HUDSONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will give the numbers of the present permanent staff at the Foreign Office in the first and second divisions; whether any of the officials employed have not passed the usual entrance examination before their appointment; if so, how many of such officials there are: and what is the nature and what are the conditions of their employment?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe number of the diplomatic establishment at present working at the Foreign Office is 65, and that of the non-diplomatic and clerical staffs 196. As regards the diplomatic establishment, all entered the service after passing the usual entrance ex- 45W amination, with the exception of two officers appointed under Clause 7 of the Order in Council of 1910, and the Regulations issued under Clause 4 of the Order in Council of 1920, respectively. Of the non-diplomatic staff, with the exception of 13 who were appointed under Clause 7 of the Order in Council of 1910 or its equivalent at the relevant dates, all have either passed the prescribed Civil Service examination immediately before entering the Foreign Office, or were transferred from other Departments which they had entered after passing that examination. As regards the last part of the hon. Member's question, while I should be happy to give the hon. Member all possible information, I find it difficult, within the limits of a reply to a question in this House, to describe the many and varied duties which the different branches of the Foreign Office are called upon to perform. The conditions of service correspond generally to those prevailing in the Civil Service as a whole.