HC Deb 16 June 1986 vol 99 c431W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of (a) the total diplomatic staff, (b) the senior diplomatic staff and (c) ambassadors and high commissioners in the British Diplomatic Service abroad are women.

Mr. Eggar

The answers are as follows:

  1. (a) 29.63 per cent., ie 742 women out of 2,504 staff, including clerical, secretarial and security staff, but excluding communications officers;
  2. (b) 4.36 per cent., ie 33 women out of 757 staff in DS grade 6 (First Secretary) and above;
  3. (c) of 129 British ambassadors or high commissioners, at present one is female. another woman officer heads a consulate-general, and there are two other women in the senior grade abroad.

All these figures relate to membership of the Diplomatic Service serving overseas.