§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, having regard to the fact that 600 the British Consulate-General at Nice was to be closed on 31st January, and that the Marseilles Consulate is held to be an inadequate substitute, they will set up a Consulate at Monaco to provide consular facilities for British residents and British trading interests on the French Riviera.]
THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF GOSFORD)My Lords, Nice is not the only post, nor the French Riviera the only area, to be affected by the search for economies in Government expenditure overseas. Her Majesty's Government do not accept the thesis, referred to by the noble Viscount, that Her Majesty's Consulate-General at Marseilles is an inadequate substitute for Her Majesty's Consulate-General at Nice. The possibility of setting up a Consulate at Monaco has been most carefully considered; but this course has been rejected, since Her Majesty's Government are confident that Her Majesty's Consul-General at Marseilles will be successful in his efforts to meet the reasonable requirements of British residents and interests on the French Riviera. Given a fair trial, this arrangement should be successful.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I beg to thank the noble Earl for his Answer. May I ask him whether Her Majesty's Government will not reconsider this matter, and whether they will bear in mind that British trading and residential interests on the Riviera are unanimously of the opinion that the proposed consular facilities at and from Marseilles will be totally inadequate, and that without consular facilities at Monaco, or elsewhere, actually on the Riviera, there will be grave inconvenience and a distinct danger that British industrial interests, which now show a considerable profit to the London insurance market, may be replaced by American and German interests?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, I cannot possibly give any hope to the noble Viscount of a reconsideration of this decision. In regard to his remaining remarks, I will bring them to my right honourable friend's attention, though I know that he is fully aware of them and has taken them into full consideration in the decision to which he has already come.