§ Lord Brockwayasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the British Embassy in Pretoria is handling the visas of the South African rugby team's visit to New Zealand and, if so, whether this action will be reconsidered in view of the opposition of the New Zealand Government and the Commonwealth to the tour.
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Lord Carrington)The British Consulate-General, Johannesburg, issued visas to the team in question on 13th July after receiving authority to do so from the New Zealand Government. This was in accordance with a long-standing tradition by which British missions in foreign countries issue visas as their agent on behalf of unrepresented independent Commonwealth countries. Acting in this capacity, the consulate-general at Johannesburg received instructions on the issue of the visas in question directly and solely from the Government of New Zealand.