HC Deb 24 April 1995 vol 258 c376W
Mr. Michael Jopling

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the costs of posting military personnel to embassies and high commissions falls on his Department; and what is the total cost. [19959]

Mr. Goodlad

The FCO normally meets the following costs of service attaches and their UK-based support staff who serve at our diplomatic missions overseas:

  • residential accommodation, furniture and maintenance;
  • office accommodation, furniture and maintenance;
  • office utilities;
  • office telephone, fax and secure communications.

This expenditure is not recorded separately but included with that for all other diplomatic service staff. It would therefore be possible to identify it only by incurring disproportionate cost.

Other costs of service attaches, including pay, fall to the Ministry of Defence.