§ 2.41 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAMSHIREMy Lords, in the absence of the noble Lord, Lord Rankeillour, I beg to ask the question standing in his name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether they were responsible for the selection of any of the British delegates to the World Conference of Intellectuals in Poland; and whether they are aware of what were the qualifications required of those who were allowed to attend the Congress.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER - SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD HENDERSON)My Lords, His Majesty's Government were not responsible for the selection of any of the British delegates who attended the recent so-called World Congress of Intellectuals at Wroclaw, at the invitation of the Polish authorities: nor were His Majesty's Government consulted or informed as to who should be invited. It is not known what qualifications guided the Polish Organising Committee in selecting the individuals to whom invitations were issued, but I am sure the noble Lord's guess would be as good as mine.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask whether, before these various gentlemen went over to Poland, they did not require a visa and to be more or less vouched for by the Government for their various expenditure allowances?
§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, they would require visas, but that would be the extent to which the Government were involved. The Government are not responsible for their maintenance, and therefore accept no responsibility at all.
§ LORD HENDERSONI cannot say whether they paid their own expenses or whether they went as the guests of the authorities who called the conference. I cannot answer that now—I do not know. But if the noble Earl wants an answer I will get it for him.
§ LORD VANSITTARTIs not the first qualification for being an "intellectual" the possession of a sense of one's own importance which is shared by no one else?