§ 48. Mr. T. KENNEDYasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that, of the many Governments represented at the International Labour Conference now sitting at Geneva, the British Government is about the only one not represented by a Minister of State, and that for part of the time of the present Conference the sole representative of the British Government has been a civil servant; and whether he will give careful consideration to the advisability of having the Government more properly represented at forthcoming international labour conferences in view of the national and international importance of these gatherings?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)In accordance with the general practice, Great Britain was represented by a Minister, in the person of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, who remained at Geneva for more than the first week of the Conference, until his Parliamentary duties at home rendered his return imperative. His place was then taken by the Principal Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, who is responsible for this work. Of the 46 States who attended, only seven—namely, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland—were represented throughout by a Minister of State. Among those not so represented were Germany, Italy and Belgium, and the French Minister of Labour attended one sitting only of the Conference. I cannot accept the suggestion that British interests suffered owing to the method of representation at this Conference.