Draft reply to Mr. Patters para 2.
I am pleased that you would like to pursue the extension to
HMOCS officers of the opportunity to apply for inward transfer
to the Diplomatic Service. Unfortunately we cannot increase the
ceiling of places at each grade or include DS4, as you suggest.
The scheme is designed to enable us to consider all inward
transfer applications fairly and equally against a set of
agreed criteria. We are not obliged to fill the places available
at each grade if the standard of applications is not high enough
(hence the "ceiling" rather than a "quota"); and the ceiling at
each grade or its exclusion from the scheme is related to the
operational needs of the Diplomatic Service, not the number of
applications we receive. I assure you, however, that we shall
treat inward transfer applications from HMOCS officers in exactly
the same way as those from home civil servants in the UK.
Any HMOCS officers wishing to take advantage of the inward
transfer scheme should apply in writing to David Cox, Recruitment
Section, Personnel Policy Department, FCO. They should confirm
that they have told their establishment officer of their appli-
cation. We consider all applications in September-October of each
year; and before that
approach establishment officers for
copies of applicants' two or
or three most recent appraisal reports.