§ 42. Captain WATERHOUSEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on how many occasions since June, 1929, the Foreign Secretary, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, or other of His Majesty's Ministers directly representing the Foreign Secretary, have left this country for conferences or consultations with foreign statesmen, other than at meetings of the League of Nations at Geneva; and how many foreign capitals have been so visited?
§ Mr. EDENFifteen such journeys have been undertaken since June, 1929, and 10 foreign capitals have been visited.
§ Captain WATERHOUSECan my right hon. Friend give am assurance that now that there are five Ministers interested in foreign affairs this number of foreign visits will not be increased; and may I further ask whether, in view of the very slender results which have been achieved by these many visits—[HON. MEMBERS: "No!"]—he will not consider the advisability of giving up amateur diplomacy and leaving the matter to the officials in his own Department? I want to make it quite clear that I am not casting any aspersions on my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. EDENMy hon. and gallant Friend's explanation seems a little contrary to his earlier statement, but I would point out that five of these 15 visits took place in the short period of life of the late Labour Government, and I do not think our 10 visits in comparison have been either unnecessary or altogether unsuccessful.
§ Lieut.-Commander AGNEWCan my right hon. Friend say whether these visits have caused any unemployment among permanent diplomatists?