'File 17/27 AGENCY TRANSPORT' [‎188r] (379/482)

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CIRCULAR No. 67
XC 051/6450 ]
Foreign Office,
2bth September, 1950.
Use of Official Transport
Dear Consulate (-General),
One of His Majesty’s posts abroad has recently asked for an
official interpretation of the word “ normally ” as used in para
graph 26 of Chapter 29 of the Foreign Service Regulations, part
of which reads: “ An officer of car-owning grade will not normally
make any call on official transport for his personal use. He is
moreover expected to use his private car when he needs transport
for his official duties.”
The discussion on this matter in the Foreign Office has produced
' he following views and opinions which it is felt may be helpful
~to staff at posts abroad.
In the first place it is the considered opinion that any officer
of car-owning grade who prefers not to own a private car, despite
the fact that he has a private car element in his allowances, shall
not have any lien on any car in the official pool. Also it has been
noted that there is an all too prevalent practice of earmarking
official cars for specilic times and journeys, e.g., to and from lunch.
This should not be allowed.
Officers of car-owning grades are expected to use their own
cars for all official journeys outside of office hours, but, within
office hours it is felt that anyone who has official business to do is
entitled to use official transport if the use of his private car is
inconvenient. As an example of what is meant, we would not
expect staff in busy capitals such as Paris or Rome to take their
private cars and fight their way through streets and then perhaps
waste valuable time in searching for parking space, when an official
car with a driver could run them round quickly, drop them, and
return to the Mission to await a call to bring them back.
We realise too, that wives of senior officers very often have jobs
to do in “ office hours,” and we do not insist that an officer should
—4se his car for official purposes at a time when it is essential that
his wife should have it for representational or family duties.
In effect the regulations stand, and nothing we have now said
makes any alteration to the rule that an officer may not charge
for the use of his private car on short runs within the local ten mile
limit; but, we appreciate the varying circumstances at different
posts. What we expect is that the spirit of the regulations will
be observed, and that we can assume that officers will not abuse
the use of official transport.
Additional copies of this circular are enclosed for distribution
to Consular Officers under your superintendence.
A similar circular has been addressed to Chanceries (as No. 0110).
Yours ever.
Conference and Supply Dept.
His Majesty’s Consulates (-General)
16392 39266—28