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Languages

Volume 479: debated on Monday 21 July 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2008, Official Report, column 762W, on languages, how many of his departmental staff have received language training in each of the last three financial years; and if he will make a statement. (218797)

Requirements for language training are assessed by each overseas office and based upon business priorities. As such the Department for International Development (DFID) does not hold central records on language training, but according to our main external language training provider 130 staff have received training in the last 18 months. This is equivalent to 35 per cent. of home civil service staff posted overseas at any given time.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2008, Official Report, column 318W, on languages, how many (a) Pashto and (b) Dari speakers there are in his Department; and how many took a language course in each of the last two years. (220542)

In the Department for International Development five staff speak Pashto and two speak Dari. Our main language training provider has trained two staff in Dari and four in Pashto during 2006-07 and two staff in Dari during 2007-08.