Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many apprentices employed by (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies are aged (i) 16 to 18, (ii) 19 to 24 and (iii) 25 years or older; and how many of those apprentices employed in each form of body and of each age group were previously employed by the Government.

The Foreign and Commonwealth has not employed any apprentices, but are in the process of recruiting five apprentices in the 19-23 year old age bracket.

The number of apprentices employed by FCO Services, an Executive Agency of the FCO, is eight for the 16-18/19-24 group and 14 apprentices who are aged over 25. None of these apprentices were previously employed by the Government immediately prior to joining FCO Services.