HC Deb 26 February 2001 vol 363 cc459-60W
Mr. Tyrie

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his policy planning unit was established; which of its reports are placed in the public domain; how many departmental or non-departmental Special Advisers participate in its work; how many regular(a) non-departmental and (b) departmental staff participate in its work; and how many of these work for the unit on a full-time basis. [150362]

Mr. Robin Cook

Policy Planners Department has been in existence since 1967–68 when it was a part of the Planning, Research, Defence and Disarmament Group. Policy Planning Staff is the present name of the

Year Date Council Minister
1999 24–25 September Informal meeting of Ministers of Education Sam Galbraith
1999 26 October Fisheries Council (Luxembourg) John Home Robertson
1999 22 November Fisheries Council (Brussels) John Home Robertson
1999 13 December Environment Council (Brussels) Sarah Boyack
1999 14 December Agriculture Council (Brussels) Ross Finnie
1999 16 December Fisheries Council (Brussels) John Home Robertson
2000 17–18 March Informal Council for Ministers of Lifelong Learning (Portugal) Nicol Stephen
2000 20 March Agriculture Council (Brussels) Ross Finnie
2000 8 June Education Council (Luxembourg) Nicol Stephen
2000 16 June Fisheries Council (Luxembourg) John Home Robertson
2000 22 June Environment Council (Brussels) Sarah Boyack
2000 17 November Fisheries Council (Brussels) Rhona Brankin
2000 20 November Agriculture Council (Brussels) Ross Finnie
2000 30 November Justice and Home Affairs Council (Brussels) Jim Wallace
2000 14–15 December Fisheries Council (Brussels) Rhona Brankin
2001 12 February Education and Youth Council (Brussels) Nicol Stephen

department. It reports direct to the Permanent Under-Secretary, Sir John Kerr, who chairs the FCO Policy Advisory Board which is made up of civil servants. The papers produced for the board are not normally in the public domain. Policy Planning Staff contribute to several FCO public documents including the FCO departmental report and the FCO website.

There are 11 full-time staff and two secondees from outside the UK. No Special Adviser works in the department.