To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost of the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg was in 2005-06; and what the budgeted cost for the mission is in 2006-07. (130770)

The local budget spend for financial year 2005-06 was £403,952 and is estimated to be £409,551 in 2006-07. This covers rent, rates, maintenance, furniture and utilities for all property, locally engaged staff pay (including pensions and social security), official travel and official vehicle costs, entertainment and other purchased goods and services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) diplomatic service staff and (b) locally recruited staff are employed at the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, broken down by pay grade. (130771)

There are five diplomatic staff at Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pay grades A2, B3, C4, D7 and SMS2 and five locally recruited staff; two at FCO pay grades LEIIIA and one each at grades LEIIIB, LEIV and LEVc, employed at the UK Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the floor area is of rented accommodation occupied by the UK Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg; what the costs associated with that accommodation were in the last year for which figures are available; what the floor area is of accommodation owned by the UK Government in Strasbourg; what the running costs of those buildings were in the last year for which figures are available; and what the latest open market valuation is of those buildings. (130772)

The floor space of rented accommodation occupied by the UK Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg is 940 square metres. This figure was 1,052 square metres in financial year 2005-06 and the rental costs were a total of £89,914.

The floor space of the only property owned by the Government in Strasbourg is 635 square metres.

Current accounting practices provide for a breakdown of running costs (utilities, rates, repairs and refurbishment) between residential and office accommodation, but not between owned and rented accommodation. The running costs for all accommodation in 2005-06 was £79,763, £46,068 for residential accommodation and £33,695 for office accommodation.

The latest valuation of the one owned property is £715,139 based on a 2006 survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from Government Departments and agencies attended meetings at the Council of Europe (a) in Strasbourg and (b) elsewhere in each year between 2003 and 2006; how many visits for that purpose were made in each year; and how many overnight stays were associated with those visits in each year. (130773)

There are approximately 80 Council of Europe committees attended by officials from Government Departments. The Government do not hold central records on all these attendances, the majority of which are independent of the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe based in Strasbourg. Several of the committees themselves have changed in structure and membership over the three-year period and are unlikely to maintain detailed attendance records. The information in the form requested is therefore not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.