Austerity bites at FCO

The Foreign Office is underfunded and further cuts could damage its ability to operate successfully, the Foreign Affairs Committee has warned in a recent report.

The FCO has yet to reveal how it plans to reduce spending by £40m as demanded in the Spending Review.

While MPs welcomed the “recalibration” of the FCO network into emerging powers of Asia and Latin America they worried this would lead to an “unwelcome incentive” to sell historic properties in Europe.

They also fear that increased recruitment of local staff to cut costs could harm the skills training of junior staff, notably in languages.