HC Deb 02 March 1916 vol 80 cc1168-9
3. Colonel YATE

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether in Sweden some 24 out of 31 British Consuls and Vice-Consuls are aliens, in Norway 26 out of 30, in Denmark 19 out of 26, and in Holland and its colonies 14 out of 24; and whether it is now propesed to limit the appointment of British Consuls and Vice-Consuls to men of purely British descent?

Sir E. GREY

I must point out that the hon. and gallant Member has mixed up salaried and unsalaried officers in his question. This is hopelessly misleading. All salaried Consular officers in the countries named are of British birth. Of the unsalaried officers the great proportion in the countries named are foreigners. The hon. and gallant Member is no doubt aware that these appointments are made in places where it is a choice between having an unsalaried officer or none at all.

In such places where a suitable British candidate is forthcoming he is given the post, but British merchants and ship-owners constantly employ foreigners as their agents, and it therefore often happens that there is no one of British birth resident and qualified for the unsalaried post.

Colonel YATE

Will the right hon. Gentleman not take steps to replace these unsalaried aliens by salaried Britishers? Could it not easily be done by instituting a system of Consular invoices, bringing in several millions?

Sir E. GREY

The question which the hon. and gallant Gentleman is raising is whether a vast amount more should not be spent on the Consular service than is being now spent. It is a very big question. When the trade or importance of a place justifies the appointment of a salaried Consular officer one is placed there. There are lots of places that are not of sufficient importance to do so, and in those cases an unsalaried officer is appointed. A British subject is chosen if available, and, if not, the most suitable foreigner.

Colonel YATE

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the question at all?