Question follow-through · 89577

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Mandarin Language

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many staff in her Department have language proficiency in Mandarin at (a) CEFR level C1 and (b) higher.

answeredForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Tabled
11 Nov 2025
Target answer date
17 Nov 2025
Answer
17 Nov 2025 · 6 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Recorded timeline

  1. 11 Nov 2025

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many staff in her Department have language proficiency in Mandarin at (a) CEFR level C1 and (b) higher.

  2. 17 Nov 2025

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 17 Nov 2025

    Answer published

    I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 6 November in response to Question 86285.

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Russia: Diplomatic Service

18 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 40311, if she will provide an updated figure for the number of staff in her Department who currently hold valid Russian-lan

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

China: Diplomatic Service

18 Nov 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 40312 on China: Diplomatic Service, how many staff in her Department have achieved Mandarin qualifications at (a) C1 and (

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Sick Leave

17 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) the Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Career Development

17 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year broken down by (i) performance marking in the previous year and (i

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Performance Appraisal

17 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total cost was of (a) settlement agreements and (b) special severance payments made to departing staff in the last year.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Disciplinary Proceedings

17 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many disciplinary cases were concluded against civil servants in (a) the Department and (b) its agencies broken down by (i) outcome and (ii) whether the primary allegatio

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: UK Relations with EU

17 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Performance Appraisal

17 Dec 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff in each grade were rated in the top performance category in the last year.