§ 33. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department what steps are taken by his Department to ensure that His Majesty's trade commissioners in South Africa, India, and the Straits Settlements can speak fluently the chief languages in use in the countries to which they are accredited?
§ Lieut.-Colonel COLVILLEAll the trade commissioners in India have a sufficient knowledge of Hindustani to enable them to perform their duties efficiently, one of them possessing also a knowledge of Burmese. The trade commissioner in the Straits Settlement speaks Malay fluently. While I agree that a knowledge of Africaans is desirable, it has not so far been found essential for the performance of the trade commissioners' duties.