Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff of his Department have been seconded to (a) other Ministries of Foreign Affairs and (b) international organisations in each year since 2010; and to which (i) other Ministries of Foreign Affairs and (ii) international organisations such staff have been seconded.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff can be seconded to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) or international organisations on agreement between the Directorate, Post and the MFA or international organisations. These secondments are a valuable tool for the FCO to meet objectives, increase ties with partner governments or international organisations and develop staff skills and experience.

There is no centrally held record of each of these secondments since 2010 and to answer this question would incur disproportionate costs.