§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he accepts the recommendation of the Duncan Commission that the functions of the Petroleum Attaché in Washington should be absorbed by the Diplomatic Service.
§ Mr. LuardThe work of the whole Embassy in Washington will be reviewed by Diplomatic Service Inspectors as soon as possible.
No decision will be taken about how any particular functions of the Embassy, including those of the Petroleum Attaché, should be carried out until the inspection is complete.
§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he accepts the Duncan Report's recommendations, following a similar recommendation by the Plowden Committee, that the Diplomatic Service should move progressively to a 10 per cent. manpower margin.
§ Mr. LuardThis recommendation is being considered along with other connected issues arising from the Report.
§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking in light of the recommendations in Chapter II of the Duncan Report to improve the 26W compensation of Diplomatic Service Officers and locally engaged personnel in overseas missions who are made redundant through no fault of their own.
§ Mr. LuardThe question of redundancy compensation for Diplomatic Service officers is at present under consideration by an inter-Departmental working group formed to study the subject of compensation for premature retirement in the context of a general review of Civil Service superannuation.
The benefits to be paid to redundant locally-engaged staff not adequately covered by local superannuation schemes are under discussion with the Civil Service Department.
In both cases the recommendations of the Duncan Report are being fully taken into account, with other relevant factors.
§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if a job analysis of the work done by the five main line agricultural attaches serving overseas has been carried out, as recommended by the Duncan Committee.
§ Mr. LuardI have arranged with my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, that the functions of. Agricultural Attaches and Advisers serving overseas should be evaluated on the spot by Diplomatic Service Inspectors as soon as possible.