HC Deb 15 May 1950 vol 475 cc861-2
58. Mr. Mott-Radclyffe

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of posts at which no private residence is available for His Majesty's Consuls-General and their families and in which countries they are; and in which towns senior consular officials are now obliged to live in hotels.

Mr. Ernest Davies

There are 39 Consulates-General which are not provided with official residences. I will, with permission, circulate in the Official Report the names of the countries.

Mr. Mott-Radclyffe

Does not the hon. Gentleman think that it is very undesirable that His Majesty's Consuls-General and their families should, in 39 cases, be obliged to live in hotels and be without any private residence? What steps are the Government taking to provide private residences for these people?

Mr. Davies

It is our policy to provide official residences where possible, and steps are being taken to that end. In view of the dislocation at the end of the war and other considerations, it has not been possible to provide them all with residences.

Major Legge-Bourke

Will the hon. Gentleman say in how many of the 39 cases the British Consul-General is the only one who has not got an official residence, whereas all the others have?

Mr. Davies

Not without notice.

Following are the countries: Argentine, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, France and French North Africa, Greece, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Saudi-Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States of America, Yugoslavia.

The Consul-General makes his own arrangements for personal accommodation at these posts and receives a rent allowance to cover the cost. It is frequently necessary for a consular officer to live in an hotel on first arrival at a post, but at present the only senior consular officers who are living in hotels are the Consuls-General at Seville and Salonika.