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Written question asked by Lord Hammond of Runnymede (Conservative) on Monday, 1 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 March 2010. It was answered by Barbara Follett (Labour) on Friday, 5 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Departmental Languages

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided.
Answer

Records of the coaching received in foreign languages for staff in Communities and Local Government are not held by the Department. However, data obtained from training coordinators within the Department shows that in the last 12 months no Minister has received coaching in a foreign language and the following table gives the details of the civil servants who have received coaching in a foreign language during the last 12 months.

Language Cost (£) Number of officials
French 2,910 12
Chinese 1,500 2
Spanish 297.90 1

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
506 c1499W; 320412
Session
2009-10
Subjects
Languages Department for Communities and Local Government
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk