§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for further transfer of the Overseas Development Administration from London; and what basis he uses as a critierion in this respect.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe ODA now has some 500 posts in its East Kilbride office, and is in the process of moving some 390 posts to the former Royal Navy dockyard in Chatham; 680 posts remain in central London. The bulk of the ODA departments currently located in central London are planned to remain there, as close as possible to the rest of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, the requirement for accommodation in central London is kept under review by the ODA, in common with other Government Departments, to hold this to the minimum necessary bearing in mind the need to administer the aid programme cost-effectively.