Corporate report

Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020

Published 19 February 2016

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

This corporate report was withdrawn on 14 December 2017

This has been replaced by another version.

£1.1bn Total Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) in financial year 2015 to 2016

This includes £1bn resource DEL and £0.1bn capital DEL

Source: Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015

Vision

Our vision is of a more secure and prosperous United Kingdom with global reach and global influence – a major player on the world stage, tackling threats to our security and prosperity, protecting British interests, and upholding British values.

In the last 5 years, we have strengthened Britain’s influence in the world, boosting exports to emerging markets, opening new diplomatic posts in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and strengthening relationships with key international partners. But we and our allies face major challenges: Islamist extremism, an aggressive Russia, economic uncertainty, nuclear proliferation and infectious diseases. We will use our position as the world’s fifth largest economy, our global diplomatic network, our membership of NATO, the EU, the Commonwealth, our permanent seat on the UN Security Council, our special relationship with the USA, our intelligence agencies and institutions such as the BBC World Service and the British Council – backed up by our world-class Armed Forces and our world-leading overseas aid programme – to tackle these challenges, helping to deliver a safer, more prosperous Britain.

We have renegotiated the terms of Britain’s membership of the European Union to address the concerns of the British people – to make it clear that we are not committed to “ever closer union”; to reduce regulation and boost economic competitiveness; to ensure that Britain does not lose out as a result of our decision never to join the Euro; and to reduce the pressure from EU migration on our benefits and welfare system. We will ask the British people, on this reformed basis, whether they want to remain in the EU or to leave, with an in-out referendum before the end of 2017.

Specifically, over the course of this Parliament, we will:

• maintain our special relationship with the United States, and strengthen our ties with our partners and allies in Europe and around the world as the foundation of our security and international influence

• strengthen our relationships with the emerging powers of Asia, Latin America and Africa to support UK prosperity and security

• strengthen the rules-based international order, including by reforming international institutions such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the European Union, better to support global prosperity and security in the 21st century, to pursue UK national interests and to protect our sovereignty

• project our democratic values; and support universal human rights, good governance, conflict prevention and climate-resilient development in order to strengthen the stability of the international system

• respond effectively to crises by maintaining a high state of crisis readiness, including preparedness for terrorist attacks

• ensure we have a global network with the skills and experience necessary to pursue our interests and protect our values

Our ministers and management

Objectives

1. Protect our people

2. Project our global influence

3. Promote our prosperity

1. Protect our people

Lead minister: Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Lead officials: Sarah MacIntosh, Director General Defence and Intelligence

1.1 What the FCO is doing

We will safeguard Britain’s people and national security by countering terrorism, weapons proliferation and other state and non-state based threats, including cyber intrusions. In particular, we will tackle extremism. We will work in conjunction with our Whitehall partners to achieve these goals, particularly with DFID on conflict, stability and crisis management.

We will:

• pursue a comprehensive political and military strategy to defeat Daesh
• work for peace, stability and inclusive political settlements in Syria, Iraq and across the Middle East and North Africa
• stand shoulder to shoulder with our NATO allies, reassuring all NATO members – especially those closest to Russia – of their security, and continue to support the Euro-Atlantic path for Western Balkan nations
• work closely with our allies to continue to strengthen NATO – supporting its new multi-national rapid response force
• continue to ensure that defence policy remains firmly under British national control, maintaining NATO and the transatlantic relationship as the cornerstones of our defence and security policy
• strengthen our defence and security partnerships in the Gulf and Asia
• help to lead international efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon
• work to ensure that North Korea ends its development of nuclear weapons
• work with international partners to address threats to UK security from the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons
• uphold the democratic rights of the people of Gibraltar and Falkland Islands to remain British, for as long as that is their wish
• support British nationals around the world through modern and efficient consular services, a state of high crisis readiness, and a swift and effective crisis response

Our priorities

Reinforce the UK and international response to terrorism and extremism, including work to counter the ideology of Islamist extremism around the world. Enhance our defence and security, including through a stronger trans-Atlantic security partnership, effective deterrence and a stronger rules-based counter-proliferation system.

• Implement the international aspects of the UK’s counter-terrorism and counter-extremism strategies. UK counter-extremism work overseas will be guided by an International Delivery Plan, working in partnership with the UN, Commonwealth, EU and other key bilateral and multilateral partners.

• Deliver the international aspects of the National Cyber Security Strategy, working to preserve a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace, influencing through multilateral organisations, our bilateral relationships and global capacity building fund.

• Lead the adaptation of NATO to new challenges, implementing and building on the 2014 NATO Wales Summit commitments and working to deliver a successful 2016 Warsaw Summit.

• Keep the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran on track to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon.

Degrade Daesh in Iraq and Syria and make progress towards political settlements across the Middle East/North Africa with greater UK support to good governance in the region.

• Play a leading role in the Global Coalition to degrade and defeat Daesh, including through the development of an effective anti-Daesh Communications Cell.

• Lead the UK’s participation in the International Syria Support Group, with the US, Russia and other coalition members, to agree a political solution in Syria.

• Co-sponsor work on stabilisation, reconstruction and security in Libya and play a significant role in advancing the UN-led Libyan political process.

• Implement the cross-government Gulf Strategy, increasing the UK’s defence and security posture in the region.

Consular protection and crisis response

• Deliver an excellent service with a consular satisfaction rate of at least 80%, providing a greater level of specialist support to more complex cases and improving digital resources to improve the customer experience.

• FCO network trained and ready to deliver a rapid, high quality crisis response, meeting public and ministerial expectations.

1.2 How the FCO is doing

Terrorism, extremism and non-proliferation

• New Counter-Extremism strategy published (Oct 2015).

• Protect and Prepare programmes launched in 2015 in Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Algeria, building capacity to improve response to terrorism.

• Foreign Secretary’s commitment to E3+3 negotiations (UK, Germany, France, US, China, Russia) with Iran played a key role in concluding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (July 2015). UK Embassy in Tehran reopened (Aug 2015).

• FCO played crucial role in establishing the UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (Sept 2015) to identify perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

• FCO diplomacy contributed to Burma and Angola signing up to the Chemical Weapons convention; the first Conference of State Parties to the new Arms Trade Treaty, a key FCO objective, gave the Treaty a sound operating basis.

• The UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) report on international cyber security met FCO objectives (Aug 2015). FCO delivered a ground-breaking agreement on cyber-enabled commercial espionage with China (Oct 15).

Daesh and the Middle East/North Africa

• The Syria Donors Conference, hosted by FCO and DFID on 4 February 2016, pledged funding for the crisis to a new total of over £7.7bn. The UK announced that we will double our commitment, increasing our pledge to Syria and the region to over £2.3bn. The conference committed to deliver education to children inside Syria and to at least one million refugee and host community children in the region, as well as supporting jobs for refugees and economic growth in the countries hosting them.

• UN Security Council Resolution (Nov 2015), supported by the UK, called on Member States to use all necessary measures to prevent and suppress terrorist acts by Daesh.

• Counter-Daesh coalition actions have expanded – the UK has joined airstrikes in Syria (Nov 2015). Updates can be found at Daesh: UK government response.

• FCO launched over £100m of Conflict Security and Stability Fund projects for 2016 to 2017, focused on counter-terrorism/counter-extremism, migration, and preventing sexual violence in conflict, in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya. Plans under development to further expand in 2017 to 2020.

Consular and crisis

81% Customer satisfaction level in Q1 2015 to 2016

This is a comprehensive assessment of customer sentiment conducted by research agencies, reported every six months. Our target is to reach 80% satisfaction.

86,319 Volume of consular-related calls handled in Q2 2015 to 2016

The provision of consistent advice to first-time telephone enquiries worldwide, and around the clock, with priority calls escalated for further action.

6,722 New consular cases handled in Q2 2015 to 2016

New assistance cases are calls escalated to Consular Officers for dedicated assistance, appropriate to individual circumstances.

1,230 New vulnerable cases handled in Q2 2015 to 2016

Those in most need of consular assistance are categorised as vulnerable cases.

11.9 million Page views for FCO travel advice in Q2 2015 to 2016

The provision of clear and accessible online travel advice to help travellers make informed decisions about their safety abroad.

Crisis response

• In 2015, the FCO in London led the response to 4 large-scale crises - Nepal earthquake, Sharm el-Sheikh aviation crisis and the Paris and Sousse terrorist attacks.

• FCO managed numerous locally-led crisis responses, including for the Bangkok bombing, Europe bus crashes, Indian tourist train derailment and three incidents in Mecca.

• FCO supported the safe return of a hostage from Yemen to the UK.

2. Project our Global Influence

Lead minister: Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Lead official: Simon Gass, Director General Political

2.1 What the FCO is doing

We will use our global influence and diplomatic network to protect and promote our interests and values, supporting our security and prosperity, and maximising the impact of our soft power investments in the British Council, the BBC World Service, and over 2,000 annual Chevening, Marshall and Commonwealth Scholarships.

We will:

• further strengthen our ties with our close Commonwealth allies, Australia, Canada and New Zealand
• strengthen the Commonwealth’s focus on promoting democratic values and development
• uphold our special relationship with the USA
• actively support Cypriots to find a peaceful and lasting settlement to reunite their island
• uphold the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and continue to reject Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea
• tackle conflict and build stability overseas, taking a long-term approach to preventing conflict, state failure and irregular migration, and further scaling up the Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) to over £1bn per year over the parliamentary term. A key objective of the Fund will be to drive forward the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative
• ensure that the significant achievements of our armed forces in Afghanistan are maintained
• support the government of Afghanistan in ensuring that the country remains stable and never again becomes a haven for international terrorists
• promote reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka, including through supporting the UN investigation into war crimes
• support a democratic transition in Burma
• support India’s bid for permanent representation on the UN Security Council
• stand up for the rule of law and human rights in Zimbabwe

Our priorities:

Europe: stand up to Russia, and protect the independence of the EU’s neighbours and the security of NATO Allies and partners

• Maintain strong EU and international pressure on Russia to implement the Minsk Agreements.

• Use Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) projects, Good Governance Fund and bilateral support to improve the resilience and governance of Ukraine and the European Neighbourhood.

• Strengthen NATO’s collective defence, response to the threat of hybrid attack, and enhance NATO’s role in building resilience.

• Stand up to Russian aggression whilst engaging and working with Russia where necessary, particularly on key international security issues.

• Drive development of the future EU European Neighbourhood Policy.

Afghanistan: sustained international and regional backing contributes to a stable government pursuing reform, better governance and peace talks

• Maintain strong donor support for Afghanistan’s Transformation Decade (2015-2024).

• FCO political engagement, including Ministerial and senior official visits, promotes prospects for reconciliation and direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, supported by CSSF reconciliation projects.

• Maintain UK’s military commitment to NATO’s mission to provide training, advice and assistance to the Afghan security forces.

Africa: partnership with key countries promotes greater stability and improves business environments in the fastest growing economies

• Develop a new, comprehensive Africa Strategy to promote greater security, stability and prosperity across Africa.

• From 2016 use new Prosperity programme funding to help Africa grow out of poverty, supporting private sector development, including by reducing barriers to market access and supporting critical enabling sectors such as energy, infrastructure and access to finance.

• Lead the response to the upstream African migration challenge, driving forward the Valetta Summit action plan (Nov 2015) to tackle the causes and consequences of irregular migration.

• Promote British values through the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings (Nov 2015, 2018), delivering a successful CHOGM in the UK in 2018.

2.2 How the FCO is doing

Europe and Russia

• FCO helped ensure EU sanctions on Russia have been sustained in 2015 and into 2016, keeping up the pressure for fulfilment of Minsk Agreements in eastern Ukraine and the return of Crimea.

• Supported UN Human Rights Council resolution with a strong majority, establishing increased UN scrutiny of human rights violations in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

• Provided support to the States of the Joint Investigation Team in their pursuit of a judicial mechanism which addresses accountability for the downing of MH17.

• Coordinated with Russia to ensure an effective response to the suspected bombing of a Russian passenger plane flying out of Sharm El Sheik (Nov 2015).

• Demonstrated preparedness for, and a swift response to, crises in Europe, including Greece/Eurozone, migration, and the Paris attacks.

• Supported the EU-Turkey action plan to help address the flow of migrants from Turkey to Europe, and enhanced communications with Turkey to help stem the flow of foreign fighters.

• Good progress made towards a settlement for Cyprus by supporting the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots and encouraging Turkey to maintain its supportive approach.

• Progress made on long-term reform and stability objectives in the Western Balkans, including through implementation of the UK-Germany inspired Bosnia and Herzegovina Reform initiative; further agreements in Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue; signature of EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Montenegro invited to join NATO (Dec 2015).

Afghanistan

• First ever Afghan National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security adopted in 2015. £19.5m CSSF allocated to projects this year to promote governance, security and women’s participation.

• Decision to maintain UK military commitment to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission (RSM) through 2016, at around 450 personnel. RSM provides training, advice and assistance to the Afghan Security Forces.

• Provided advisory support to the Afghan Security Ministries to support institutional development.

• Collaboration developed with the Minister of Refugees to address the flow of illegal migrants to the UK.

Africa

• FCO provided support for peaceful democratic elections in Nigeria, followed by quick work to build a flagship security and economic partnership.

• Helped to strengthen the regional fight against Boko Haram, and Al Shabaab, using bilateral support and mobilising multilateral relationships (AU, UN, EU).

• Played a leading role in finalising the peace agreement in South Sudan; containing the crisis in Burundi; and seeking to avert potential crisis in DRC. Committed to deploy UK peacekeepers in Somalia and South Sudan.

• Partnered with key African players to deliver strong Sustainable Development Goals, agreed at the UN General Assembly in September 2015.

• Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta (Nov 2015) agreed actions on climate change, sustainable development, migration, human rights and security.

3. Promote our Prosperity

Lead minister: Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Lead official: Deborah Bronnert, Director General Economic and Consular

3.1 What the FCO is doing

We will build the UK’s prosperity by increasing exports and inward investment, opening markets, ensuring access to resources and promoting sustainable global growth using our global network of nearly 270 overseas missions and partnership with UKTI.

We will do this by developing strategic relationships, particularly with the fastest-growing emerging powers of Asia, Latin America and Africa; tackling barriers to trade; and by reforming international institutions to better support global prosperity, as well as by ensuring we have a global network with the skills necessary to pursue our interests and project our values. From 2016 we will deliver a new £1.3bn Prosperity Fund over 5 years to promote economic growth in emerging markets and developing countries, helping to tackle poverty.

In the EU we will negotiate a new settlement for Britain, and promote a more competitive, flexible, fair and democratically-legitimate EU for the benefit of all Member States. Once we have negotiated a new settlement, we will ask the British people whether they want to stay in the EU on this reformed basis, or to leave.

We will work to ensure full implementation and effective follow-up to the Paris Agreement on climate change so as to limit global warming to 2 degrees.

We will:

• use our global network of embassies and diplomatic posts to better connect Britain to the fastest-growing economies in the world
• push for freer global trade, concluding major trade deals with the US, India and Japan and reinvigorating the World Trade Organisation
• build on our strong relationship with India and push for an ambitious EU-India trade deal
• strengthen our economic links with China, doubling support for British firms selling goods there
• champion an EU-China trade deal
• insist that, when new countries join the EU in the future, free movement cannot apply to those new members until their economies have converged much more closely with existing Member States
• end our commitment to an ‘ever closer union,’ as enshrined in the Treaty to which every EU country has to sign up
• press for lower EU spending, further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and Structural Funds, and for EU money to be focused on promoting jobs and growth
• push for all countries to sign up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Our priorities:

EU: negotiate for a more competitive, flexible, fair and democratically legitimate European Union for the benefit of all Member States, and prepare for a referendum on our EU membership by the end of 2017.

• Build support for the UK’s position in all 4 areas of the PM’s EU renegotiation agenda (competitiveness, economic governance, sovereignty and welfare/migration), across European partners, negotiating a new settlement for Britain.

• Press for lower EU spending, and EU efforts focused on promoting jobs and growth.

• Hold an effective UK EU Presidency in 2017, which delivers on UK priorities in the EU.

• Enhance UK trade and investment opportunities through single market reforms.

Economic and climate diplomacy: economic reforms in major UK markets create new opportunities for UK business, with progress towards EU-US and EU-Japan Free Trade Agreements, and WTO agreements in key commercial sectors. Full implementation and effective follow-up to the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change improves prospects for limiting global warming to 2 degrees.

• FCO campaigns build support for ambitious free trade deals with the US and Japan worth £15bn per annum to the UK, and secure an ambitious EU Trade Strategy which focuses on further deals of UK importance such as with Australia and New Zealand.

• Agreement of the new WTO work programme in 2015 to overcome hurdles in key areas e.g. an updated Information Technology Agreement.

• £1.3bn Prosperity Fund launches in 2016 for 5 years focused on improving sustainable economic growth in emerging economies.

• UK hosts a successful Anti-Corruption Summit in 2016, and expands the membership of the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative.

• UK policy and commercial expertise supports countries to implement and exceed climate change commitments made under the Paris Agreement (Dec 2015), reducing the global risks of climate change and accelerating growth of the low carbon economy.

Asia: UK market share improves, particularly in China and India. Maintain or improve our position as a European destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the region’s top 5 economies. Maintain a coherent European, and transatlantic, approach to security and stability in the region.

• An enhanced relationship and increased frequency of high level contacts with China and India leads to a wider range of business opportunities and potential investors in the UK.

• Increased emphasis across the FCO network promoting trade policy, market access and business environment leads to market openings and opportunities. Expansion of UKTI China team in 2015 to 2016.

• Reflecting the UK’s All-of-Asia approach, follow-up to the Prime Minister’s visit to 4 key ASEAN markets (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore) opens up further UK business opportunities across the region.

3.2 How the FCO is doing

European Union

• Referendum Bill received Royal Assent, and negotiations with EU Member States and institutions well underway.

Economic and climate diplomacy

• Extensive FCO lobbying helped to secure an ambitious EU Trade Strategy targeting deals of importance to the UK and progress UK priorities, e.g. securing support for the EU-US FTA in the European Parliament (July 2015) and substantial progress across the 11 negotiating rounds to date.

• At the WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi (Dec 2015), the FCO’s engagement strategy culminated in the biggest agricultural trade liberalisation deal, and the biggest tariff-cutting deal in the WTO’s 20 year history, which could boost UK exports by £110m per year.

• We have opened markets and removed trade barriers in major emerging markets (e.g. soil remediation in China and reinsurance in Brazil).

• In partnership with DH, DFID, and DEFRA the FCO-BIS Science and Innovation Network has helped deliver three major multilateral milestones (WHO, FAO and OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health)) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in support of the HMG-wide AMR strategy.

• EU ‘State of Energy Union’ review (Nov 2015) reflected progress on EU interconnection and the energy single market. The International Energy Agency (IEA) Ministerial in Paris (Nov 2015) saw new members or associates, marking a significant step forward in cooperative energy security.

• UK and China signed a Clean Energy Partnership agreement at the UK China Energy Dialogue (Oct 2015), a new framework for cooperation in the low carbon sector. India and UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen energy cooperation, including on Civil Nuclear: £3bn contracts agreed in the energy sector (Nov 2015).

• Final Investment Decision taken on NSN Link, high voltage subsea cables between UK and Norway. The interconnector will strengthen UK energy security, providing a new, secure link to Norwegian hydropower.

• The global deal on climate change agreed at COP21 in Paris in December 2015 represented a major milestone in efforts to tackle climate change. The FCO helped build the political conditions for the deal ahead of COP21. UK expertise was deployed in energy planning, carbon pricing, climate legislation, and green finance to assist countries reduce their emissions, and develop meaningful commitments. In the G7, the UK played a leading role in agreeing a new initiative on clean energy innovation, and a new working group on climate security risks to fragile states.

Asia

• UK remains most popular major European destination for Chinese investment, enhanced by State visit by President Xi (Oct 2015). State visit agreed almost £40bn worth of deals, including £5bn Chinese investment in Northern Powerhouse regeneration projects.

• Numerous interventions by diplomatic posts in Asia Pacific have advanced specific UK trade and investment opportunities or significantly improved the business environment (e.g. Rio Tinto’s £3bn investment in Mongolia, Rolls Royce’s £400m deal with Vietnam Airlines). UK market share is estimated to remain at 1.5% this FY, with UK trade targets broadly on or ahead of track.

• On FDI, key deals included Chinese investment in Hinkley Point C nuclear new build, Hitachi’s investment in UK rail, Nissan’s commitment to manufacture the Juke in Sunderland, and the Import-Export Bank of Korea’s loan for the Mersey Gateway project.

• PM and Foreign Secretary visits to the region increased the profile of UK security interests, and promoted e.g. UK-China CT dialogue, UK-China Maritime Law Dialogue and UK-Japan Political-Mil dialogue.

• PM Modi visit (Nov 2015) agreed £9bn business deals. New Indian rules on FDI in defence open the door for UK defence companies to manufacture in India. A UK-India Ease of Doing Business Partnership aims to lift India up the World Bank Index.

• FCO provided practical assistance and political influence to promote credible, democratic elections in Burma (Nov 2015).

Delivering efficiently in FCO

4.1 What the FCO is doing

As a department we are committed to reducing our operating costs over the Parliament, whilst continuing to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our services through:

• reducing the cost of our key commercial contracts as they are renewed and achieving better value from the smaller contracts across our network
• achieving running cost efficiencies across our global network
• reducing travel costs through more effective administration and better value from our central travel contract supplier
• continuing to and, where they offer best value for money, expanding our use of cross-Whitehall expert services
• working with partners to deliver ‘One HMG Overseas’: having already delivered significant savings and increased overseas impact, we will continue to do so by operating collaboratively under single business plans, using a single platform serviced by a single support function, underpinned by a single investment plan

How FCO is working collaboratively across government

We will work collaboratively with Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and other government departments to deliver transformational change in key areas, including:

• developing digital solutions that meet common standards set by the Government Digital Service and utilise cross-government platforms such as GOV.UK Verify, GOV.UK Pay or GOV.UK Notify as part of departmental digital services wherever this demonstrates the best value money solution for government
• rationalising our estate in a joined-up way, looking to develop ‘government hubs’ with other government departments, releasing land for housing where possible and participating in the development of the new property model
• delivering savings in our commercial relationships including through spend on common goods and services, delivered in partnership with Crown Commercial Services. Continuing to build our commercial capability and working with Crown Commercial Services to deliver the government’s 33% commitment of our spend with SMEs by 2020
• working in partnership with: the Cabinet Office to deliver Arms Length Bodies (ALB) transformation plans; Infrastructure and Projects Authority on major projects programmes and prioritisation; and reducing losses through fraud and error alongside developing a debt management strategy