HL Deb 22 November 1977 vol 387 cc842-3WA
Lord EVANS of HUNGERSHALL

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (i) Why, in the Review of Overseas Representation by the Central Policy Review Staff, the names of six members of staff reporting to Sir Kenneth Berrill, the Head of the Central Policy Review Staff, are not given in the report, though they were released to the Press;
  2. (ii) whether their names could now be given to the House;
  3. (iii) how long each of them has served abroad and in what capacity;
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  4. (iv) which of the countries they reported on they had visited before;
  5. (v) how long Sir Kenneth Berrill and each member of his staff stayed in each of the countries under review.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

It has not been the practice when CPRS reports are published to include the names of the main team which worked on them. Members of the CPRS are not appointed with responsibility for special subjects and many reports include contributions from members of the CPRS besides those directly involved. Following exceptional public interest in theReview of Overseas Representation and some misrepresentation in the Press, those involved agreed to the publication of their names and the information requested is:

Tessa Blackstone: Some years consultancy work for official bodies in Europe, the Middle East and New Zealand.

Marrack Goulding: 16-year career in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, specialising in Arab questions and including 9 years in various Arab States.

Tony Hurrell: 11-year career in Ministry of Overseas Development, including two years service in Bangkok.

Kate Mortimer: Three years working in Washington for IBRD, involving extensive travel in Africa and the Far East.

John Odling-Smee: Two years' experience in Africa as a teacher and Government economist, and project experience in the Americas and Egypt.

David Young: 12-year career in Ministry of Defence involving a good deal of overseas travel; experience of the leadership of a number of NATO multinational working parties.

Between them the team had personal experience of almost two-thirds of the 27 countries they visited. Members of the team spent between two days and one week in the countries which they visited, depending on the size, importance and range of functions of the British mission there.