§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what events(a) he is and (b) other Ministers in his Department are planning to attend as part of the golden jubilee celebrations; and what events his Department is planning to arrange to celebrate the golden jubilee. [33246]
§ Mr. StrawIt is still too early yet to be certain of what national events I, or other FCO Ministers, will be attending. I expect, however, to attend the national service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's cathedral on 4 June.
I will also be attending my county service of thanksgiving in Blackburn cathedral on Sunday 2 June.
769WThe Under Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), plans to be in his Exeter constituency for the visit there by Her Majesty on 1May.
Baroness Amos will attend the Commonwealth Day observance on 11 March (I shall be at the General Affairs Council in Brussels).
The FCO are sponsoring the tour of the Queen's golden jubilee baton through 20 Commonwealth countries. It will leave London on Monday 11 March, Commonwealth Day, and return to the UK on 5 June. Our posts overseas will arrange events and encourage publicity to support the baton's passage, supported by the local Commonwealth games associations and the British Council. We have also sponsored some aspects of the "Spirit of Friendship" festival associated with the 17th Commonwealth games in Manchester this summer, one of the high points of the jubilee.
Additionally, there will be eight open days from April to October when the FCO will be open to view by members of the public. It is one of the "String of Pearls" of historic public buildings that will be open to the public, along the banks of the Thames in central London.
We have issued general guidance to all our posts overseas on the celebrations of the golden jubilee. Many embassies and high commissions may use the occasion of the jubilee to enhance their regular Queen's Birthday Party. Missions will possibly hold additional events using publicity materials specifically prepared for the jubilee in the FCO, taking into account their local circumstances, and the Queen's desire that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds.