§ Sir W. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who is the principal British representative on Economic Commission for Europe, Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, and 139W Economic Co-operation Administration, respectively; and what contribution is made to each organisation from the Exchequer.
§ Mr. BevinFor the full sessions of the Economic Commission for Europe the British delegations have been led either by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State, or by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. His Majesty's Government also have a small permanent delegation to the E.C.E. which is headed by Mr. E. R. Warner, a member of the Foreign Service.
For the meetings of the Council of O.E.E.C. at Ministerial level, the United Kingdom has been represented either by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer or myself. My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer also attends the meetings of the Ministerial Consultative Group. The head of the permanent Delegation to the O.E.E.C. is Sir Edmund Hall-Patch, who holds the personal rank of Ambassador.
The Economic Co-operation Administration is the organisation set up by the United States Government under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1948 to deal with matters arising from the granting of United States aid under the European Recovery Programme. No question of British representation therefore arises.
The United Kingdom makes a contribution to the United Nations as a whole and this is then sub-divided to pay for the various subsidiary bodies of the United Nations of which E.C.E. is one. No direct subscription is made to E.C.E. The United Kingdom contribution to the United Nations for 1949 is $4,615,230.86.
The United Kingdom contribution to the O.E.E.C. is 31.63 per cent. of the budget of the Organisation. £435,764 have been paid for the period ending 30th June, 1949, in addition to £256,439 towards the Working Capital Fund.