56
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE
Sir PATRICK WRIGHT, KCMG, Mr D BLATHERWICK, OBE, Mr D Moss, CMG, Miss C PESTELL, CMG, Mr G GRIFFITHS AND Mr AR PAUL
3 May 1989]
[Mr Wells Contd]
Chairman
144. Mr Bowen Wells has raised a very interest- ing issue. Would it not be a fair comment that a modern method of financial control by any Minis- try of Finance, including our Treasury, ought to concentrate on the numbers, the finance, and dele- gate the way in which it is allocated and used to you and the Foreign Office? Would that not be a fair comment on the way things ought to be run inside Whitehall?
(Sir Patrick Wright) I dare say that would be of help to us, yes.
Chairman: I think it is something the Committee might well pursue. It sounds to me like a classic case of asinine Treasury detailed control which does not lead to economies. Perhaps we may turn now to a number of more detailed issues, beginning with the operation in Namibia.
Mr Wells
145. In your answer to question nine you explain the funding of the United Nations Tran- sitional Assistance Group, UNTAG, operation and the British share of those costs. What is the latest position about the payment of contributions by other countries because you have completed your payment on the initial budget, as we under- stand from the memorandum?
(Sir Patrick Wright) I am sorry to report that the present situation is that the United Nations has received only 25 per cent of contributions to date.
146. Still?
(Sir Patrick Wright) Obviously we hope that will improve. The United Kingdom has paid in full. We paid 10 per cent in late March and the remain- der on 3 April.
147. I am fascinated to see that you have man- aged to include this expenditure in your estimates because it seems to me to be extremely fast foot- work to have done that considering that you nor- mally prepare your estimates in November?
(Sir Patrick Wright) Yes.
148. So you were obviously anticipating this level of costs at that time?
(Sir Patrick Wright) We did. In fact I recall that it was a very last minute addition to our public expenditure bid, but it was already clear to us by the autumn forecast that this requirement was going to fall.
149. In spite of the arguments that went on the size of that commitment right up to the last minute. Anyway, I congratulate you on that, if I may. Can you tell us when the United Nations is likely to reimburse the United Kingdom for the vehicles that it supplied in view of the financial situation in the United Nations and particularly in relation to this task force? It seems that you might have to wait some time?
(Sir Patrick Wright) I hope not. All I can say is that the United Nations accept the commitment that they will reimburse us both for wear and tear
[Continued
and full replacement costs as appropriate.
150. As you said, the Secretary General could ask for this force to be increased to the full seven battalion strength?
(Sir Patrick Wright) Seven thousand five hundred men.
151. What is your assessment of the likelihood of such a request?
(Sir Patrick Wright) I think it is very difficult to give an assessment, UNTAG, as everyone knows, has gone through some difficult periods since 1 April. I think it is honestly too soon to tell whether the present strength of UNTAG will be adequate. There have been those who argued from the first day that the original figure, the higher figure of 7,500, should be kept to. Our present assessment is that UNTAG with its very nearly complete figure at the lower level is doing a worth- while job and will be able to do a worthwhile job. We shall have to see.
Chairman: Let us move back now to Eastern Europe.
Mr Jopling
152. I am looking at question 10 in EST.48 with regard to research and other activities in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union which are funded by the Foreign Office and the Department of Educa- tion and Science. You will remember that we included in paragraph 4.25 of our recent report some recommendations on these matters, Sir Patrick, that the Foreign Office should review its sponsored research programmes in this field, and no doubt we shall be receiving your report in due course. In the meantime can you explain the strat- egy on the funding of research and how the Foreign Office chooses which bodies to support? I noticed in your reply that a working party has been set up under Dr Norman Wooding. If you can expand on that it would be helpful.
(Sir Patrick Wright) May I first say, Mr Chair- man, that the core of our research effort lies in in- house activity. The Foreign and Commonwealth Ofice has its own research department which provides research back-up and analytical support on political, economic and social events and trends in overseas countries and on their foreign and dom- estic policies. FCO departments and posts abroad make extensive use of this expertise. A research department which costs us over £2 million a year maintains contacts with universities and research institutes. Indeed, those outside contacts are a very important part of their work. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in addition has a budget for academic contact of £111,000, of which the largest single recipient is the Royal Institute of Inter- national Affairs, Chatham House, who receive £50,000 from us although that is only a very small part of their total budget. The largest single area of funding by Chatham House is on Soviet and East European studies. Nearly half our funding of £50,000 is devoted to that area. The other areas covered both by Chatham House and others
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.