§ Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much and what proportion in percentage terms of the total official aid budget was taken up in administrative costs (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the recipient countries so far as the Diplomatic Service and the British Council, respectively, were concerned in the latest full year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe Diplomatic Service spent £136,000 in 1976–77 on aid administration in the United Kingdom, equivalent to 0.03 per cent. of the official aid programme. The cost in recipient countries was £1,257,000 equivalent to 0.24 per cent. of the aid programme. Administration charges for programmes wholly funded by the Ministry of Overseas Development and executed by the British Council in 1976–77 totalled £4,215,000 or 0.79 per cent. of official aid. These costs exclude the Ministry of Overseas Development's general grant in support of the Council's core budget covering its aid and cultural activities. It is not possible to divide administrative costs between those arising in the United Kingdom and in recipient countries.