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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

1968 establishments in the United KingdomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeForeign Office during World War IIForeign affairs ministriesForeign relations of the United Kingdom
George Gilbert Scott buildingsGrade I listed buildings in the City of WestminsterGrade I listed government buildingsItalianate architecture in EnglandMinisterial departments of the Government of the United KingdomMinistries established in 1968Whitehall
Foreign & Commonwealth Office main building
Foreign & Commonwealth Office main building

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID). The FCO, itself created in 1968 by the merger of the Foreign Office (FO) and the Commonwealth Office, was responsible for protecting and promoting British interests worldwide. The head of the FCDO is the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, commonly abbreviated to "foreign secretary". This is regarded as one of the four most prestigious positions in the Cabinet – the Great Offices of State – alongside those of Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. The current foreign secretary is Liz Truss. The FCDO is managed day-to-day by a civil servant, the permanent under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, who also acts as the Head of Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service. The current permanent under-secretary is Sir Philip Barton, who took office on 2 September 2020. The expenditure, administration and policy of the FCDO are scrutinised by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
King Charles Street, London Lambeth

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Latitude Longitude
N 51.503055555556 ° E -0.12777777777778 °
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO;Foreign Office)

King Charles Street 30
SW1A 2AH London, Lambeth
England, United Kingdom
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Foreign & Commonwealth Office main building
Foreign & Commonwealth Office main building
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10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street (pronunciation ) in London, also known colloquially in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the official residence and executive office of the First Lord of the Treasury, usually also the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Along with the adjoining Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, it is the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom. Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is over 300 years old and contains approximately 100 rooms. A private residence for the prime minister's use occupies the third floor and there is a kitchen in the basement. The other floors contain offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the prime minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders and foreign dignitaries are met and hosted. At the rear is an interior courtyard and a terrace overlooking a 1⁄2 acre (0.2 ha) garden. Adjacent to St James's Park, Number 10 is approximately 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) from Buckingham Palace, the London residence of the British Monarch, and near the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of both Houses of Parliament. Originally three houses, Number 10 was offered to Sir Robert Walpole by King George II in 1732. Walpole accepted on the condition that the gift was to the office of First Lord of the Treasury. The post of First Lord of the Treasury has, for much of the 18th and 19th centuries and invariably since 1905, been held by the Prime Minister. Walpole commissioned William Kent to join the three houses and it is this larger house that is known as Number 10 Downing Street. Despite its size and convenient location near to Parliament, few early prime ministers lived at 10 Downing Street. Costly to maintain, neglected, and run-down, Number 10 was scheduled to be demolished several times, but the property survived and became linked with many statesmen and events in British history. In 1985, Margaret Thatcher said Number 10 had become "one of the most precious jewels in the national heritage".10 Downing Street is Government property. Its registered legal title is held in the name of Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (the Secretary of State is a corporation sole).