CONFIDENTIAL
From:
Minister
Date:
29 uctober, 1991
CC:
Sir David Gillmore Minister (C)
Head of Chancery
Mг Teddit
Mr Torry
ML DŁOWIE
Private Secretary
PUS's CALL ON DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE AND DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL, STATE DEPARTMENT: 28 October, 1991
1.
The PUS called on Ambassador Perkins on 28 October. They agreed that the British and US Foreign Services faced very similar problems. These included dual postings and the employment of foreign service spouses. Ambassador Perkins said that the Americans were drawing up an inventory of posts in their foreign service which might lend themselves to the employment of spouses, after training. They were also making an account of the skills already possessed by spouses. He wanted to move this whole question into the mainstream of the foreign service, not just leave it to the family liaison office. If things could be made to work out that way he would like to ensure that when jobs were available at posts a suitable spouse would be available to fill them. remarked that the Americans aimed to assign people 7 - 8 months in advance of their posting.
2.
He
Ambassador Perkins said that he agreed with Sir D Gillmore it was rather easier to fill junior posts in embassies dealing with, for example, visas or computers than to find jobs for spouses at
The more senior levels or for those with specialised skills. Americans understood that there was a real problem over how best to recognise the contribution made by spouses. They were not able to pay wives for the work they did to support their husbands. Something might be done on the social security side. The Americans were also looking at arrangements for giving people short term commissions, for providing for leave without pay, and for training. But they could see no way at present to pay for representational work. He was interested in the Swedish precedent mentioned by Sir D Gillmore by which pension benefits were preserved when working wives had their employment interrupted because of the need to accompany husbands abroad. He hoped to pursue the discussion
when he was able to visit London.
3. Sir D Gillmore mentioned our interest in a short attachment for a DS officer to the State Department. Mr Perkins said that state had had a similar exchange with the Germans, He thought the idea a good one.
29 October, 1991
CONFIDENTIAL
Aur Good
A M WOOD
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