§ 46. Sir A. WILLIAMSONasked whether the attention of the Government is being given to the importance and urgency of a radical reform of the Consular Service in the interests of British trade; and whether the Government will, as a first step, introduce legislation to transfer the control of the service from the Foreign Office to the Board of Trade?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The second raises a matter on which there is considerable diversity of opinion, and, while assuring my hon. Friend that the Government have the whole subject under close consideration, I cannot promise to introduce the legislation suggested.