HC Deb 15 January 1976 vol 903 cc239-40W
Mr. Norman Lamont

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the entertainment allowances payable to individual diplomats are paid at present on the strict basis of invoices for each item of expenditure and for each person entertained.

Mr. Ennals

Regular accounting on the basis of each person entertained is required from the majority of diplomatic staff who are reimbursed for entertainment expenditure. This is done by a senior member of the staff at each post overseas. Similar arrangements do not cover the most senior staff; but all entertainment expenditure at posts is subject to review by teams of inspectors, who establish the number of guests to be entertained and per capita costs of such entertainment for each member of staff in each representational grade.