VISAS FOR FOREIGN TRADE DELEGATIONS (Hansard, 4 June 1959)

§ LORD STONHAM
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE)
My Lords, after examining the existing arrangements for the granting of visas to foreign delegations visiting this country, I am satisfied that the present machinery is quite adequate and it is kept under constant review.

§ LORD STONHAM
My Lords, is the noble Marquess aware that a party of senior Russim aircraft technicians, now welcome visitors to this country, applied to the Foreign Office on May 4 for visas but their application was not sent to the Home Office until May 27, with the result that there were four telephone calls and cables to and from Moscow and that they were finally told it did not matter, so long as they got their visas, about two minutes before they left? Does the noble Marquess realise that incidents of this kind create misunderstanding, and that this is not evidence of efficiency to people for whom we have the utmost good will and with whom we hope to do business?

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE
My Lords, the noble Lord was good enough to draw my attention in advance to this particular case. I have gone into it carefully, with the help of my noble friend Lord Chesham, who answers for 666 the Home Office, and in this case there was avoidable delay. As your Lordships will appreciate, however, a very large number of applications for visas are received in this country, all of which have to be carefully examined. I am happy to be able to tell your Lordships that instances of delay such as this are extremely rare. This is a matter which concerns two Departments, and I am sure that the noble Lord would not wish to press me to say which of those Departments was mostly concerned with the delay. I am, however, glad to be able to tell your Lordships that the delegation to which the noble Lord referred was able to travel to this country as planned.