Mr. Fergal Mythen:

We undertake an annual review of these allowances on the basis of an agreement we have with an independent consultancy firm called Employment Conditions Abroad. It is a London-based company used by many international organisations, including us. It assesses each posting on the basis of a basket of criteria for each location and we can supply the exact breakdown. A number of issues come into play, including the cost of living, security and hardship.