HL Deb 11 July 1978 vol 394 cc1436-8

2.55 p.m.

Lord BALLANTRAE

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

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when their final decision will be made known concerning the recommendations made in the Review of Overseas Representation submitted by the Central Policy Review Staff in August 1977.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, it is the firm intention of the Government to publish their conclusions as soon as is practically possible.

Lord BALLANTRAE

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that illuminating reply, but may I ask him to comment on the fact that it is now 11 months since the review was published, eight months since he gave a welcome undertaking in this House that it would be commented on as soon as possible, and something like 18 months since the people in the three services concerned began to have reasonable fears about their future careers? Will the Minister also comment on the viewpoint that, while we all accept that the wheels of God grind slowly, that should not be taken by Government as a precedent for any Government action or inaction?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, it is, after all, a massive, wide-ranging report and we are hoping to come to decisions which will stand us in good stead for a considerable period to come. The noble Lord and others have rightly pointed out the uncertainty that arises on these occasions. We want to try to get it right this time, so that we do not have to pull the services up by the roots after a few years, but possibly create a system which will last for considerably longer than has proved to be the case after previous reports.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

My Lords, can the noble Lord not say more today, in order to reassure in the meantime those working in the British Council and the Overseas Information Services, especially in the United States, that they will not be dismissed before a final decision?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

My Lords, I could not anticipate the terms of the White Paper. I can only repeat that it will be published, I hope quite soon, but certainly as soon as it is ready, and it is in a very far stage of preparation at the moment. I can certainly assure the noble Lord that the points he has raised have been given very considerable weight in the preparation of the White Paper.

Baroness VICKERS

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he realises that quite a lot of young people, men and women, are not opting to go into the Diplomatic Service or the Foreign Service, because they have no idea whether or not they will have a career? This is very unsettling for many who are now leaving the universities, and who would have liked to go into the services had they known what the future was to be.

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

Precisely, my Lords. I think that the noble Baroness joins the noble Lord, Lord Ballantrae, in the point that he made. It is time that we had a wide-ranging inquiry, which will result in a system which, subject to future internal adjustments—which, anywhere, are always being done—will stand us in good stead for a somewhat longer period than has proved to be the case in regard to previous inquiries.