HC Deb 26 March 1953 vol 513 cc110-1W
Mr. Russell

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the duties and achievements of the Colonial Attache in Washington and the Colonial Office representative in New York.

Mr. Lyttelton

The Colonial Attache at the British Embassy in Washington advises Her Majesty's Ambassador and the British Information Services in the United States on all matters affecting the Colonies, undertakes publicity work, especially lectures to institutions and academic bodies, and has supervisory responsibility for the welfare of some 1,500 colonial students in the United States. He is responsible for liasion between the Embassy and the Colonial Governments, whose interests in the United States the Embassy represents, and for assistance to British subjects from the Colonies, in particular as regards labour contracts for West Indians. He is also a member of the Caribbean Commission.

The Counsellor (Colonial Affairs) in New York advises the permanent United Kingdom representative to the United Nations on colonial questions. He represents the United Kingdom as alternate delegate to the Trusteeship Council, as adviser to the United Kingdom representative in the Fourth (Trusteeship) Committee of the General Assembly, and as United Kingdom representative on certain inter-sessional committees and sub-committees of the Assembly. He also acts as a link between the Colonial Office and the Technical Assistance Administration of the United Nations.

I consider both appointments most valuable. Without the specialised knowledge which these officers have provided, neither the Embassy nor our delegation in New York could have done so much to remove misunderstanding about our colonial policy and to present British colonial achievements in their proper light.

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