FOI release

FOI202500031S Internal Communications

Published 28 November 2025

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST REF: FOI2025_00031S 

Thank you for your email of 17 November 2025 asking for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. You asked: 

“Please provide the following information for your department for the most recent financial year available: 

1) The number of internal communications staff by grade (AA–SCS). 

2) The total annual staff cost (salary and on-costs) for internal communications staff.” 

I am writing to confirm that we have now completed the search for the information which you requested.   

I can confirm that FCDO Services does hold information relevant to your request, as set out below. 

1) There are currently less than 5 internal communication staff members.  

Where the figure is less than 5, we consider that releasing the exact number could allow individuals to be identified. We thus consider that the information concerned is exempt from release under s40(2) and 40(3)(A)(a) of the FOIA as it is personal data relating to third parties, the disclosure of which would contravene one of the data protection principles (in this case, the principle that personal data should be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently). It is the fairness aspect of this principle, which, in my view, would be breached by disclosure. In such circumstances, s.40 confers an absolute exemption on disclosure. 

2) The total annual staff cost is £146,432.70 for internal communication staff. This figure includes base pay, location allowance and applicable recruitment/retention/ market allowances. 

Once an FOI request is answered, it is considered to be in the public domain.  To promote transparency, FCDO Services may now publish the response and any material released on GOV.UK in the FOI releases section.  All personal information in the letter will be removed before publishing.  

Where copies of information have been supplied to you they will continue to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.  You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting.  Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.  Most documents supplied by the FCDO will have been produced by government officials and will be protected by Crown Copyright.  To re-use Crown Copyright documents please consult the Open Government Licence v3 on the National Archives website. 

Information you receive which is not subject to Crown Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party (non-Crown Copyright) information. 

If you would like to request a review of our decision, you should write to the Data Protection Officer (DPO), Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Team, FCDO Services, Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes, England, MK19 7BH (e-mail: FCDOServices.DataProtectionOfficer@fcdo.gov.uk).  Please note you have 40 working days to do so from the date of this letter. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications. 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.  Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the FCDO. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, or online at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/  

Yours sincerely, 

FOI Officer 

Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Team 

FCDO Services