HC Deb 22 April 2002 vol 384 c23W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what percentage of policy entrants were educated at(a) public school, (b) Oxford university and (c) Cambridge university in each year since 1997; [50566]

(2) what percentage of the diplomatic service both operational and policy were educated at (a) public school, (b)Oxford university and (c) Cambridge university in each year since 1997; [50569]

(3)what percentage of operational entrants were educated at (a) public school, (b) Oxford university and (c) Cambridge university in each year since 1997. [50568]

Mr. Bradshaw

The information is as follows:

1997 1998 1999 2000
Policy entrants
Percentage from Oxbridge 48 65 44 57
Percentage from independent schools 64 61 60 64
Operational entrants
Percentage from Oxbridge 6 7 4 4
Percentage from independent schools 24 37 33 37

The recruitment section records Oxford and Cambridge jointly and records school information as independent (which includes public schools) or comprehensive. These figures are published in the departmental report.