Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the increase in the National Living wage announced by the Government on 31 December 2019, what discussions he is having with private sector companies undertaking facility management work for his Department to ensure that the cost of wage increases for their employees are not passed on to his Department.

To date, there have been no discussions with private sector companies undertaking facilities management work for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) to ensure that the cost of wage increases for their employees, as a result of the increase in the Government National Living Wage, are not passed on to the FCO.