§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many persons were employed in the headquarters of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (a) on 1 May 1997 and (b) on the most recent convenient date; and whether they are satisfied that with current staffing levels the department is able to carry out effectively the tasks assigned to it. [HL2604]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanOn 1 April 1997 the FCO employed 3,240 permanent full-time staff equivalent and 56 casual full-time staff equivalent in London and Hanslope Park.
The corresponding figures for 1 April 1998 are 3,168 permanent full-time staff equivalent and 82 casual full-time staff equivalent.
Over the past year funding constraints have meant that the number of FCO staff in the UK and serving overseas has been significantly below the level of numbers permitted under its Authorised Establishment and required for the job in hand. This has caused strains in the system, and officers at all levels have worked hard to cover gaps in order to carry out tasks assigned. The outcome of the CSR exercise should ensure that the Office can now recruit up to the overall number required to carry out priority tasks.