The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
588.
In November
2003, FCO officials started to consider additional incentives to
attract
the growing
number of volunteers needed to fill civilian roles in Iraq and to
be able to
replace
them every few months for the foreseeable future.
589.
On 3 November
2003, the IOU informed Sir Michael Jay that civil
service
secondees
in Iraq received allowances worth about £1,500 a month,
depending
on grade.387
By
comparison, FCO and DFID contractors earned up to £1,000 a
day.
The IOU
advised:
“There is
no sign, yet, that money is a significant factor in finding civil
service
volunteers
for Iraq. But we may have to consider some improvement in the
financial
terms if we
find it increasingly difficult to recruit the civil service staff
we need over
the next
few months.”
590.
DFID’s
November 2004 ‘Guide to Overseas Terms and Conditions for
Long‑term
Assignments
in Iraq’ explained:
“DFID’s
work in Iraq is very high profile and has assumed major
corporate
importance.
Working in Iraq is dangerous and the conditions are difficult. We
need
staff with
appropriate skills, e.g. programme management, and a high degree
of
self‑motivation
to carry out this work. So, we have devised a package of
allowances
and
benefits specifically to attract such people and meet their
needs.” 388
591.
The details
provided covered financial, travel and leave entitlements, health
care,
insurance,
accommodation and security.”
592.
Hardship
allowances for Iraq were said to be high compared with other
countries,
at £26,900
per annum in November 2004.
593.
Participants
at the Inquiry’s civilian outreach event who served in Iraq
between
mid‑2004
and mid‑2007 viewed the financial package available to civilians
positively,
but
expressed some resentment towards “overpaid” private sector
contractors on
“extraordinary”
daily rates.
594.
In 2003 the
FCO introduced the “Golden Ticket” for staff deployed to Iraq for
three
months or
longer.389
The Golden
Ticket gave the holder priority over other applicants
when
applying for their next job. It remained valid until a substantive
job was secured.
595.
The November
2004 text of the standard letter issued to FCO staff posted
to
diplomatic
missions in Iraq stated: “HR and the wider Office value the
contribution
you have
made, and we hope that this will go some way to recognising
that.” 390
It
also
387
Minute
Parham to PS/PUS, 3 November 2003, ‘Iraq: Civilian
Staffing’.
388
Paper DFID,
1 November 2004, ‘Working for DFID: Guide to Overseas Terms and
Conditions for
Long‑term
Assignments in Iraq’.
389
Paper
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 25 October 2004, ‘Iraq
Pre‑Deployment Brief’.
390
Letter [FCO
junior official], 17 November 2004, ‘Posting to British Diplomatic
Missions in Iraq’.
348