§ 48. Sir. W. Anstruther-Grayasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that a period often elapses between the day when a British Ambassador leaves the country to which he is accredited and the time when his successor arrives on the spot; that this interim period when neither the outgoing nor incoming Ambassador is available at his post is detrimental to the conduct of affairs; and what steps he proposes to take.
§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreThe gap bettwen Ambassadors is kept short where the public interest demands it. But it is neither practicable nor necessary to eliminate it altogether. During the interim the Embassy is in charge of a senior and experienced official as Chargé d'Affaires.