§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in 2002. [106774]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienAll Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff are entitled to undertake union duties. The FCO allocates the equivalent of a total of seven full days for this. The cost to public funds in 2002 was £154,811. About 50 members of staff are members of union or branch committees.