§ Sir William Clarkasked the Lord Privy Seal how many persons are employed in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office dealing with the provision of furniture, and what is the total cost to the Exchequer.
§ Mr. HurdThe provision of furniture for Government Departments at home and for residences and offices for the Diplomatic Service at posts overseas is the responsibility of the Property Services Agency of the Department of the Environment. The accommodation and services department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the office services branch in the Overseas Development Administration, deal with accommodation, transport and office services questions in addition to matters connected with office furniture. It is not possible to separate out, without disproportionate expense, the numbers and costs of staff engaged on the latter type of work.