§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the use of private detective agencies and security companies by his Department.
§ Mr. GoodladThere is no record of the FCO ever having employed a private detective agency. Up to now the only recorded instance of the FCO employing a private security company in the United Kingdom was for the guarding of Wiston House conference centre for six months in 1992–93. However, under the market testing programme, six private security companies have been invited to tender, along with an in-house team, for guarding all FCO premises in London from 3 January 1995. The result will be announced in August.
We do not keep central records of security companies employed at our posts overseas.