HC Deb 07 April 1977 vol 929 cc686-8W
Mr. MacFarquhar

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Russian;

(2) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Arabic;

(3) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Korean;

(4) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Japanese;

(5) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Chinese;

(6) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in French;

(7) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in German;

(8) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Italian;

(9) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Spanish;

(10) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Portuguese;

(11) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service intermediate level proficiency in Malay/Bahasa Indonesia;

(12) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service intermediate level proficiency in Polish;

(13) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service intermediate level proficiency in Czech;

(14) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service advanced level proficiency in Arabic;

(15) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service advanced level proficiency in Chinese;

(16) how many Department of Trade officials have obtained the Civil Service advanced level proficiency in Japanese;

(17) how many Department of Trade personnel, who have passed a Civil Service language proficiency examination, are en poste in the relevant countries; and which are those countries;

(18) how many Department of Trade Officials have obtained the Civil Service higher level proficiency in Persian.

Mr. Meacher

The Civil Service Commission examinations listed are intended for Diplomatic Service officers. It would therefore be exceptional for these exami- nations to be taken by members of my Department, many of whom are proficient in foreign languages. Currently, of the Diplomatic Service officers on loan to my Department one has obtained higher level proficiency in French and German and another has obtained advanced level proficiency in Japanese. One of my officials now on loan to the Diplomatic Service has obtained higher level proficiency in Arabic and is en poste in Jedda. Apart from this the answer to the sixth question is one; the answer to all the other Questions is, none.

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