\u200bThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record centrally the gifts that it makes with a value less than £300,000. Consequently, details of these gifts could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Parliament is notified of any gifts above £300,000. Such gifts are typically of items of equipment we might provide to friendly countries.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/343", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutland and Melton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Alan Duncan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-05T17:17:08.473Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Official Gifts"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to which countries his Department has gifted equipment costing less than £300,000 per gift in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1540", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Greg Mulholland"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds North West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Greg Mulholland"} ], "uin" : "54908"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/644320", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/644320/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office's Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance is generally considered to be a global standard for the screening of overseas activities for unintended human rights risk. It is a tool that allows the Government to assist countries struggling to protect human rights, while also ensuring that British assistance does not inadvertently worsen the situation. Officials are currently considering changes to the guidance, drawing on five years of experience of application to improve it further. We would like to make it easier for all parts of Government with a role to play overseas to collaborate to produce the best possible assessments of risk and the strongest possible mitigations of those risks. These changes will not in any way increase our level of tolerance of the risk of causing human rights violations. We will inform Parliament when Ministers have considered what changes might be made.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-05T10:48:05.6Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-11-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Departmental Responsibilities"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1540", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Greg Mulholland"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds North West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Greg Mulholland"} ], "uin" : "54909"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/540073", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/540073/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Following his visit to the United Kingdom from 17 \u2013 22 January, Commissioner Muižnieks published his \u201cMemorandum on surveillance and oversight mechanisms in the United Kingdom\u201d on 17 May. The same day Her Majesty\u2019s Government formally responded, detailing the necessity of surveillance powers and the ways in which the Government has bought world-leading oversight and transparency to these powers. The Government\u2019s full response, which runs to 27 pages, can be found on the Commissioner's website here: http://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/country-report/united-kingdom<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1487", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bournemouth East"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Tobias Ellwood"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-07-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-07-28T15:32:50.697Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "COE Commissioner for Human Rights"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in response to his Memorandum on surveillance and oversight mechanisms in the United Kingdom, published in May 2016.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1540", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Greg Mulholland"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds North West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Greg Mulholland"} ], "uin" : "43323"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/521187", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/521187/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The table below shows the average hourly salary rates for all employees (Senior Civil Service and below) within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, I would note to the Hon. Member that such simple overall averages do not paint an accurate figure of our workforce and recruitment practices. The table therefore also includes a breakdown for each Foreign and Commonwealth Office grade.<\/p>
<\/p><\/td> | 2015<\/p><\/td> | 2016<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||
Grade<\/p><\/td> | BME<\/p><\/td> | Non-BME<\/p><\/td> | Unknown<\/p><\/td> | BME<\/p><\/td> | Non-BME<\/p><\/td> | Unknown<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
A1<\/p><\/td> | 9.76<\/p><\/td> | 9.95<\/p><\/td> | 9.55<\/p><\/td> | 9.59<\/p><\/td> | 9.71<\/p><\/td> | 9.59<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
A2<\/p><\/td> | 11.14<\/p><\/td> | 11.07<\/p><\/td> | 11.09<\/p><\/td> | 11.18<\/p><\/td> | 11.09<\/p><\/td> | 11.07<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
B3<\/p><\/td> | 13.01<\/p><\/td> | 13.11<\/p><\/td> | 13.06<\/p><\/td> | 13.04<\/p><\/td> | 13.16<\/p><\/td> | 13.08<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
C4<\/p><\/td> | 15.06<\/p><\/td> | 15.15<\/p><\/td> | 15.36<\/p><\/td> | 15.39<\/p><\/td> | 15.64<\/p><\/td> | 15.64<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
C5<\/p><\/td> | 18.28<\/p><\/td> | 18.97<\/p><\/td> | 18.93<\/p><\/td> | 18.66<\/p><\/td> | 19.01<\/p><\/td> | 19.00<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
D6<\/p><\/td> | 25.75<\/p><\/td> | 24.91<\/p><\/td> | 25.30<\/p><\/td> | 26.49<\/p><\/td> | 25.86<\/p><\/td> | 26.00<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
D7<\/p><\/td> | 30.05<\/p><\/td> | 30.75<\/p><\/td> | 31.21<\/p><\/td> | 30.60<\/p><\/td> | 31.09<\/p><\/td> | 30.84<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
SMS1<\/p><\/td> | 36.48<\/p><\/td> | 36.48<\/p><\/td> | 37.61<\/p><\/td> | 36.45<\/p><\/td> | 36.63<\/p><\/td> | 36.20<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
SMS2<\/p><\/td> | 46.37<\/p><\/td> | 46.80<\/p><\/td> | 49.78<\/p><\/td> | 46.78<\/p><\/td> | 47.39<\/p><\/td> | 48.84<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
SMS3<\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | 64.79<\/p><\/td> | 70.00<\/p><\/td> | 60.94<\/p><\/td> | 66.32<\/p><\/td> | 66.45<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
SMS4<\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | 92.52<\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | 96.16<\/p><\/td> | 89.66<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
<\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
Overall<\/p><\/td> | 15.81<\/p><\/td> | 20.82<\/p><\/td> | 20.64<\/p><\/td> | 16.15<\/p><\/td> | 21.58<\/p><\/td> | 19.81<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> The Civil Service is changing, and our recruitment seeks to reflect the make-up and composition of our nation as a whole. Historically, BME staff were under-represented, both in terms of previous recruitment patterns and the number and proportion in higher grades. These factors have contributed to the differences in overall average salaries.<\/p> We are making progress - the proportion of BME staff in the Civil Service has risen from 9.2% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2015 - but we recognise that there is still more to do.<\/p> In March, the Government published its 2016 Talent Action Plan for the Civil Service. It provides a progress update on initiatives to increase diversity in the Civil Service, including cross-Government talent programmes aimed at under-represented groups.<\/p> |