§ 66. Mr. Bossomasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who are the new members of the British Council; and what are their political affiliations.
§ Mr. MayhewThe following recent appointments have been made to the Executive Committee of the British Council. Mr. P. N. Mansergh has been nominated by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, and the following persons have been elected by the Committee: The Earl of Rosebery; Sir Montagu Eddy; Mr. H. V. Tewson; my hon. Friend the Member for North Hendon (Mrs. Ayrton Gould); Mr. W. E. Williams; Mr. F. Abbots; and Major General Brooke Purdon. In addition one vacancy among the three Vice-Chairmen has been filled by the election of my hon. Friend the Member for Smethwick (Mr. Gordon Walker). Mr. Mansergh is a civil servant, and Major General Brooke Purdon is the Agent in London of the Government of Northern Ireland. Neither Sir Montagu Eddy nor Mr. 286 Williams have, as far as I know, political affiliations. Mr. Tewson is General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress and Mr. Abbots has been closely connected with the educational side of the Co-operative movement. My hon. Friends the Members for Smethwick and North Hendon belong to the Parliamentary Labour Party and Lord Rosebery is President of the Liberal National Party. I anticipate that of the two vacant vice-chairmanships, one will shortly be filled by a member of the Conservative Party and the second by a gentleman with a distinguished academic record.
§ Mr. BossomSince a lot of work will be needed to sell England to the rest of the world, does the hon. Gentleman think it is quite right that they should largely come from one side of the House?
§ Mr. MayhewAny body which has to sell modern England must naturally contain a large number of Socialists.