§ Mr. RENDALLasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there was recently considerable delay in appointing a British Consul at St. Vincent, Cape Vorde Island; whether, almost directly a Consul was appointed, he accepted a similar post at Galveston, United States of America, and since then there has been no British Consul at St. Vincent; whether intimation has been made to the Foreign Office that British interests are suffering as a consequence: and will a British Consul be appointed without further delay?
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§ Mr. KELLAWAYThe delay which has occurred in appointing a salaried British consular officer to St. Vincent since sanction was given for the creation of a salaried post there has been solely due to the difficulty of finding a suitable incumbent for the post, and not to any failure to recognise the importance of filling it at as early a date as possible. In the meantime British interests have been in the hands of a competent unsalaried officer. An officer of the salaried service has now been selected, and will proceed to St. Vincent on the termination of his leave about the middle of next month.