HC Deb 04 March 1920 vol 126 cc613-4
19. Lieut.-Colonel W. GUINNESS

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what buildings are occupied in Paris by officials of the Foreign Office; what number of officials are engaged; what is the monthly rental; and are the buildings all fully occupied?

Sir H. GREENWOOD

I am afraid I must apologise to the House for the length of this answer. [HON. MEMBERS: "Circulate."] Then I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESS

Will the hon. Baronet deal with the point as to whether these buildings which are retained at such a great cost in Paris are fully occupied?

Sir H. GREENWOOD

They are retained, as the answer will show when it is circulated, but not to any great extent. The staff is small and the rooms are required in their entirety except during the brief period when a portion of the staff is attending the Supreme Council in London.

The following is the information referred to:

The only accommodation at present occupied by officials of the Foreign Office (apart from the Embassy staff, for whom it had been necessary to secure temporary additional office accommodation in a house near by) consists of certain rooms at the Hotel Campbell, which are required for the purpose of the British Delegation to the Turkish Peace Conference.

The number of rooms is 26, and they were taken at the beginning of January. They had been retained during the temporary transfer of the negotiations to London, in view of the impossibility of securing other rooms at short notice on the resumption of proceedings in Paris.

The Delegation and staff numbered 64 in January, including representatives of the War Office, Admiralty, Board of Trade, and India Office. This number also included typists and office servants.

The cost of the rooms in question was:

Frs. 1,200 a day in January.

Frs. 1,100 a day in February.

Frs. 1,000 a day from 1st March.

When the Conference was temporarily adjourned to London, all but eleven of the staff were withdrawn. Those persons (including two office servants and two security officers) are required to look after the important archives respecting Turkish affairs which are still retained in Paris, and to furnish papers, as required, for the use of the Conference in London.