§ 2 and 3. Sir Malcolm Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether instructions have been issued to Diplomatic and Consular officers abroad that they must learn the language of the country in which they are serving; and, if hot, whether he will consider doing so now;
(2) how many Diplomatic and Consular officers serving abroad speak the language of the country in which they are serving?
§ Mr. EdenWhile it is not considered desirable to issue definite instructions on this subject, members of His Majesty's Diplomatic and Consular Services know that they are expected to study the language of the country in which they are serving. I am satisfied that the great majority of members of these Services have a useful knowledge and many of them real proficiency in the local languages of their posts, though proficiency must necessarily vary in relation to the difficulty of the language and the length of the officer's term of service in the country concerned.