Departments: Languages

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make knowledge of a foreign language a condition for appointment to senior civil service grades in his Department. (125537)

The Secretary of State has no plans to ask the permanent secretary of his Department to consider such a change. The Professional Skills for Government framework sets out the skills and expertise needed in senior civil service jobs across Government, and allows the flexibility to specify foreign language skills where that is relevant in appointing to a particular post.