Written questions, answers and statements

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Religion

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Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN 210584, tabled on 21 January 2019

Question

Jeremy Lefroy
Conservative
Stafford
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff of his Department have undertaken the course on religious literacy run by his Department's Diplomatic Academy.

Answer

Sir Alan Duncan
Conservative
Rutland and Melton
Commons

Answered on

29 January 2019

Religion and diplomacy is included in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) Diplomatic Academy's training module on human rights. So far 181 staff have completed this module, which is mandatory for staff on the FCO fast stream induction programme.

The diplomatic academy is not the only way in which staff obtain and expand their religious literacy. The FCO offers a more in-depth two day course on religion and diplomacy. This course, which takes place twice-yearly is attended by 30 to 40 students. The FCO also runs seminars or talks on specific themes or religions. These are open to all staff.

Answered by

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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The Member has declared that they have interests which may be relevant to the subject matter of this question.