§ 45. Mr. PETHERICKasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the First Commissioner of Works have recently been abroad on diplomatic missions, the policy of His Majesty's Government still holds good, namely, that the Government intend in future negotiations with foreign Powers to use the ordinary diplomatic procedure, and that Ministers of the Crown will not be sent abroad to conduct such negotiations, in view of the possibility that the latter method of negotiation may often put a greater burden of responsibility on an individual Minister than he ought to be asked to bear?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)I would refer my hon. Friend to what I said on this subject in the course of the Debate of 19th December last. The existing policy in this matter, which has been to carry out negotiations with other Powers through the normal diplomatic channels, has not been altered. Visits of the Foreign Secretary to Geneva obviously do not fall within this rule. The visit of the First Commissioner to Montreux was not a diplomatic mission. He went as His Majesty's Government's representative at an international conference.