HC Deb 22 March 1948 vol 448 cc2565-6
34. Mr. Keeling

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what diplomatic, consular and political posts in Persia and the Persian Gulf to which appointments were made by the old Government of India have been taken over by his Department; and how many such posts have been abolished since the surrender of British power in India.

Mr. Mayhew

As the answer is rather long, I will, with permission circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Keeling

Would the Minister say whether any of these posts have been taken over by either the Dominion of India or the Dominion of Pakistan?

Mr. Mayhew

Perhaps the hon. Member will read the reply.

Following is the answer:

The following Consular posts in Persia, which were formerly staffed by the Government of India, have been take over by the Foreign Office since the transfer of power: Meshed, Khorramshar, Bushire.

The following posts have been closed, except insofar as some of them are being kept on a "care and maintenance" basis until such time as the Governments of India and Pakistan are able to staff them: Kerman, Zabul, Zahidan, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Lingeh.

On the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf, all the posts formerly staffed by the Government of India have been taken over by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. These posts are now staffed by my Department but will be, in other respects, under the authority of the Commonwealth Relations Office until the end of the current financial year. After that date the Foreign Office will be wholly responsible for them.

The posts in question consist of a Political Residency at Bahrain, Political Agencies at Bahrain and Koweit, a Political Office on the Trucial Coast, and a Consulate and Political Agency at Muscat.