§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many posts in the Diplomatic Service from 1979 to date have been affected by transfers to or from the Home Civil Service; what percentage of posts at third secretary level or above in the Diplomatic Service this represents; and what percentage of posts at third secretary level or above he considers require to be filled by career officers of the Diplomatic Service.
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§ Mr. HurdSince May 1979, 261 posts in the Diplomatic Service have been affected by exchanges of staff with the Home Civil Service. This represents about 10.7 per cent. of the current total of 2,432 posts in the Diplomatic Service at third secretary level and above. The present overall ratio of career to non-career officers of the Diplomatic Service in these posts is satisfactory.
§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the exchange programme between the Diplomatic Service and industry and commerce.
§ Mr. HurdDiplomatic Service officers are serving on attachment to 11 companies in the private sector. In exchange, representatives of four of these companies have been seconded to fill Diplomatic Service posts overseas, and we have plans for further secondments in both directions. Details of these exchanges are as follows:
Companies with whom DS officers are currently serving DS posts which these companies have filled in exchange Barclays Bank International Tokyo, First Secretary (Economic) Baring Brothers Guinness Peat Singapore, First Secretary (Commercial) Hardcastle and Co. ICI Mexico City, First Secretary (Commercial) International Military Services Ltd. Lucas Industries Morgan Grenfell Ocean Transport and Trading Ltd. Kuwait, First Secretary (Economic) Phillips and Drew Sim Chem Ltd.