HC Deb 25 March 1964 vol 692 cc118-20W
Mr. John Page

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many different types of printed forms are used in his Department for internal and external use, respectively; and whether all these forms are included in the List of Standard Books, Forms, etc., for use in the Public Service published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

Mr. R. A. Butler

Printed forms in current use in the Foreign Office and supplied from the Foreign Office for use by Her Majesty's Representatives and Consular Officers overseas number 370 for internal use (of which 107 are included in the List of Standard Books, Forms, etc., for use in the Public Service published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office), and 92 for external use, that is, issued to or used by the general public. These figures include forms used by the Passport Office. Forms printed overseas, usually in the local language, for the local needs of particular posts, are not included.

Mr. John Page

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps he has taken to improve efficiency and reduce manpower by reorganising his Department with the help of the Treasury Organisation and Methods Section; what use his Department makes of outside management consultants; and what such action he is proposing in the near future.

Mr. R. A. Butler

During the past ten years, the Treasury Organisation and Methods Division have carried out twenty-one inspections for the Foreign Office. They are now being consulted closely on the planning of the new Foreign Office building, on administrative problems concerned with the setting up of the combined Administration of the new Diplomatic Service, and on the application of the Fleming Report to the future organisation of the Passport Office. Following the Plowden Committee's recommendation, it is intended eventually to establish an Organisation and Methods Section in the combined Administration of the Diplomatic Service, and a Foreign Service officer is shortly to be sent to the Organisation and Methods Division for training. No use is made of outside management consultants.