Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, more commonly known as the Foreign Office (or the FCO), is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. The head of the FCO is the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which is commonly abbreviated to Foreign Secretary. This position is traditionally regarded as one of the three most prestigious appointments in the cabinet below that of Prime Minister, alongside those of Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Home Secretary.

From April 2006 a new executive agency was established, FCO Services, to provide the essential services which keep the main FCO in operation. It is hoped that by 2007 this will acquire trading fund status and be able to provide similar services which it already offers to the FCO, to other government departments and even outside businesses.

Current ministers

Ministers at the FCO, as of 5 May 2006, are as follows:

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs - The Rt Hon. Margaret Beckett, MP
- Minister of State for Europe - The Rt Hon. Geoff Hoon, MP
- Minister of State for Trade - The Rt Hon. Ian McCartney, MP
- Minister of State - Dr Kim Howells
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State - Lord Triesman of Tottenham

The Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service is presently Sir Michael Jay (a senior civil servant).

History of the department

The department's origins

The FCO was formed in 1968 out of the merger of the short-lived Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Office, the Commonwealth Office having been formed only in 1966 by the merger of the Commonwealth Relations Office and the Colonial Office. The Commonwealth Relations Office had been formed by the merger of the Dominions Office and the India Office in 1947, with the Dominions Office having been split from the Colonial Office in 1925.

The Foreign Office was formed in March 1782 by combining the Southern and Northern Departments, each of which covered both foreign and domestic affairs in their respective geographical parts of the Kingdom. The two departments' foreign affairs responsibilities became the Foreign Office, whilst their domestic affairs responsibilities were assigned to the Home Office.

List of Permanent Under Secretaries of State

Sir Peter Ricketts From Summer 2006
Sir Michael Jay 2002-2006
Sir John Kerr 1997-2002
Sir John Coles 1994-1997
Sir David Gillmore 1991-1994
Sir Patrick Wright 1986-1991
Sir Antony Acland 1982-1986
Captain Sir Michael Palliser 1975-1982
Sir Thomas Brimelow 1973-1975
Colonel Sir Denis Greenhill 1969-1973
Sir Paul Gore-Booth 1965-1969
Sir Harold Caccia 1962-1965
Sir Frederick Hoyer Miller 1957-1962
Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick 1953-1957
Sir William Strang 1949-1953
Sir Orme Sargent 1946-1949
The Honourable Sir Alexander Cadogan 1938-1946
Sir Robert Vansittart 1930-1938
Sir Ronald Lindsay 1928-1930
Sir William Tyrrell 1925-1928
Sir Eyre Crowe 1920-1925
The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst 1916-1920
Sir Arthur Nicolson 1910-1916
The Honourable Sir Charles Hardinge 1906-1910
Sir Thomas Sanderson 1894-1906
Sir Philip Currie 1889-1893
Sir Julian Pauncefote 1882-1889
The Lord Tenterden 1873-1882
Sir Edmund Hammond 1854-1873
Henry Unwin Addington 1842-1854
John Backhouse 1827-1842
Sir George Hammond 1807-1809
Sir George Hammond 1795-1806

Recent developments

On December 2, 2003, the FCO announced eight strategic priorities for the next five to ten years, in its first strategy document:

A world safer from global terrorism and weapons of mass destruction
Protection of the UK from illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other international crime.
An international system based on the rule of law, which is better able to resolve disputes and prevent conflicts.
An effective EU in a secure neighbourhood.
Promotion of UK economic interests in an open and expanding global economy.
Sustainable development, underpinned by democracy, good governance and human rights.
Security of UK and global energy supplies.
Security and good governance of the British Overseas Territories.

In August 2005 a report by management consultant group Collinson Grant which criticised the management structure of the department was made public by Andrew Mackinlay. The report noted that:

The Foreign Office could be "slow to act".
Delegation is lacking within the management structure.
Accountability was poor.
1200 jobs could be lost.
At least £48 million could be saved annually.

The Foreign Office commissioned the report to highlight areas which would help it achieve its pledge to reduce spending by £87 million pounds over three years. In response to the report being made public, the Foreign Office stated it had already implemented the report's recommendations. ^*

History of the building

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office occupies a building which originally provided premises for four separate government departments: the Foreign, India, Colonial and Home Offices. Construction began in 1861 and finished in 1868. It was designed by the architect George Gilbert Scott in an Italianate style. He had wished it to be Gothic, but the Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston, insisted on a classical style.

Over the years the offices became increasingly cramped due to staff numbers and much of the fine Victorian interior was covered over, especially after World War II. In the 1960s demolition was proposed, but due to a public outcry asserting its heritage value the building was retained and extensively refurbished. It is open to the public each year on Open House Weekend. The Foreign and Commonwealth is now also the main tenant of the Admiralty Extension building at the opposite end of Horse Guards Parade.

External links

Foreign relations of the United Kingdom | Departments of the United Kingdom Government | Italianate architecture

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