Everything about Foreign Office totally explained
The
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the
Foreign Office or the
FCO, is the
British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the
United Kingdom overseas, created in
1968 by merging the
Foreign Office and the
Commonwealth Office.
The head of the FCO is the
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly abbreviated to
Foreign Secretary (currently
David Miliband). This position is traditionally regarded as one of the three most prestigious appointments in the
cabinet, alongside those of
Chancellor of the Exchequer and
Home Secretary. Together with the
Prime Minister, these comprise the
Great Offices of State.
Current ministers
Ministers at the FCO, as of
29 June 2007, are as follows:
The current
Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service is
Sir Peter Ricketts, KCMG, 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 had been created only in
1966, by the merger of the
Commonwealth Relations Office and the
Colonial Office, and 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.
Recent developments
In 2006, the FCO identified ten strategic international priorities for the UK over the next five to ten years. The priorities underline how closely domestic and international policies are now linked:
1. Making the world safer from global terrorism and weapons of mass destruction
2. Reducing the harm to the UK from international crime, including drug trafficking, people smuggling and money laundering
3. Preventing and resolving conflict through a strong international system
4. Building an effective and globally competitive EU in a secure neighbourhood
5. Supporting the UK economy and business through an open and expanding global economy, science and innovation and secure energy supplies
6. Achieving climate security by promoting a faster transition to a sustainable, low carbon global economy
7. Promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction underpinned by human rights, democracy, good governance and protection of the environment
8. Managing migration and combating illegal immigration
9. Delivering high-quality support for British nationals abroad, in normal times and in crises
10.Ensuring the security and good governance of the UK's Overseas Territories
In
August 2005, a report by
management consultant group
Collinson Grant was made public by
Andrew Mackinlay. The report criticised the management structure of the department, noting that:
The Foreign Office could be "slow to act".
Delegation is lacking within the management structure.
Accountability was poor.
1200 jobs could feasibly be cut.
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. (External Link
)
In April 2006 a new executive agency was established, FCO Services, to provide corporate service functions. In April 2008 it moved to Trading Fund status so it had the ability to provide similar services which it already offers to the FCO, to other government departments and even outside businesses.
History of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Main building
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office occupies a building which originally provided premises for four separate government departments: the Foreign Office, the India Office, the Colonial Office, and the Home Office. Construction on the building began in 1861 and finished in 1868, and it was designed by the architect George Gilbert Scott. Its architecture is in the Italianate style; Scott had initially envisaged a Gothic design, but the then Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston insisted on a classical style. Palmerston was Prime Minister at the time the building was begun, in 1861, not Foreign Secretary, a post that he hadn't held since 1851.
In 1925, the Foreign Office played host to the signing of the Locarno Treaties, aimed at reducing tension in Europe. The ceremony took place is a suite of rooms that had been designed for banqueting, which subsequently became known as the Locarno Suite. During the Second World War, the Locarno Suite's fine furnishings were removed or covered up, and it became home to a foreign office code-breaking department.
Due to increasing numbers of staff, the offices became increasingly cramped throughout the years and much of the fine Victorian interior was covered over—especially after World War II. In the 1960s, demolition was proposed, as part of major redevelopment plan for the area drawn up by architect Sir Leslie Martin. A subsequent public outcry prevented these proposals from ever being implemented. Instead, the Foreign Office became a Grade 1 listed building in 1970. In 1978, the Home office moved to a new building, easing overcrowding.
With a new sense of the building's historical value, it underwent a 17-year, £100 Million restoration process, completed in 1997. The Locarno Suite, used as offices and storage since the Second World War, was fully restored for use in international conferences. The building is now open to the public each year on Open House Weekend. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is now also the main tenant of the Admiralty Extension building, at the opposite end of Horse Guards Parade.
List of Foreign and Commonwealth Office home properties
FCO Main Building, Whitehall, King Charles St, London. (Abbreviated to KCS by FCO staff)
Kirkland House, 22-24 Whitehall, London.
Old Admiralty Building, Whitehall, London. (Abbreviated to OAB by FCO staff)
Hanslope Park, Hanslope, Milton Keynes. (Abbreviated to HSP by FCO staff. Location of FCO Services, HMGCC and Technical Security Department of the UK Secret Intelligence Service)Further Information
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