asked the Lord Privy Seal how many members of the Diplomatic service entered it (a) directly and (b) from other overseas services; how many of these, respectively, are now serving as heads of delegations overseas; and what are the proportions to the whole in each case.

Entry to Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is by Civil Service Commission competitions. All Diplomatic Service officers, whatever their previous background, hold a certificate of qualification issued by the Commission.Of the 3,138 Diplomatic Service officers—grades 1–10—on 31 December 1979, 128–4 per cent. were formerly members of one or other of the Overseas Colonial services. Of the 202 heads of overseas missions, delegations and posts on that date, the figure is 30–14 per cent.