§ Mr. Banksasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the number of free travel warrants available to members of the Foreign Service and their families.
§ Mr. TomlinsonSingle Diplomatic Service officers under the age of 21, living in lodgings or in a hostel, are entitled to three free travel warrants a year to visit their family home. Similar arrangements apply to single home civil servants. In the course of 1977, 297 such travel warrants were issued to Diplomatic Service officers serving in this country, and in about 40 cases expenses were refunded in lieu of travel warrants.
Diplomatic Service staff and their families serving overseas are entitled to reimbursement of travel expenses for leave journeys back to this country, within certain limits and at intervals that vary between one year and 2 and a half years, according to the nature of the post and the grade of the officer in question. In addition, their children at school in the United Kingdom are entitled to visit them overseas at public expense during the main school holidays, subject to certain conditions and to a contribution from the parent in some cases.