Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted for the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

To date the FCO or FCO Services have not included a stipulation to pay the real living wage in any major contract. All contracts include a requirement to pay the National minimum wage and the Foreign Secretary has asked officials to review the FCO's approach to the London Living wage.

Since April 2014, one contract was procured for the British Council in the UK. All the staff under this contract have been paid the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.