FCO special advisers: quarterly return - April to June 2013
Data on gifts received, hospitality received and external meetings for Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) special advisers.
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‘Type of hospitality received’ does not normally include attendance at functions hosted by the government; ‘diplomatic’ functions in the UK or abroad, hosted by overseas governments; minor refreshments at meetings, receptions, conferences and seminars; and offers of hospitality which were declined.
For gifts, if regulations allow staff to keep a gift they may only do so automatically if the item’s retail value is below the following thresholds:
- £25 for a gift received in the UK from a UK source (such as a company)
- £75 for a gift received in the UK from a foreign source (such as an Embassy)
- £140 for gifts received from any source whilst serving or travelling overseas
Where a gift’s value is (or appears to be) higher than the relevant threshold, it must be reported and recorded. If the member of staff wishes to keep the item they may do so by paying the difference between the relevant threshold and the valuation price.
‘Meetings’ does not include details of meetings where special advisers attended alongside their ministers.