HC Deb 20 February 1945 vol 408 c644W
Colonel Lyons

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider the advisability of adding a trained scientist to the staff of commercial councillors or attaches in selected embassies overseas to travel, observe and report to the appropriate Government Department the evolution of all new experiments.

Mr. George Hall

It is desirable that information about scientific developments in other countries should be readily available to the appropriate British authorities and interests, and my right hon. Friend is prepared to consider the attachment to His Majesty's Missions of specially qualified scientific and technical advisers when this appears to be in the national interest. In many cases, however, it may prove that the most satisfactory means of attaining our objective is by direct contact between individual scientists, groups of scientists, or business interests, assisted where necesary by the regular members of His Majesty's Missions.