§ Mr. Russellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in what way the Consular Agreement signed in 1951 between Great Britain and the United States of America differs from previous agreements; and why there has been a delay of seven years in presenting this Agreement to Parliament.
§ Mr. Ian HarveyThe Consular Convention between the United Kingdom and the United States which was signed on 6th June, 1951, and which entered into force on 8th August, 1952, was in replacement of an earlier Consular Convention which was signed on 16th February, 1949, but which was never ratified or brought into force.
The principal difference between the two Conventions is that the later agreement contains no provisions corresponding to Article 18 of the former agreement which conferred certain powers upon consular officers in relation to the estates of deceased persons.
The Convention of 16th February, 1949, was published in the "Country" Series as Cmd. 7642 (U.S.A. No. 1, 1949) and laid before Parliament later in the same month. The Convention of 6th June, 1951, was published in the "Country" Series as Cmd. 8289 (U.S.A. No. 1, 1951) and laid before Parliament on 5th July of the same year. While republication in the "Treaty" Series did not take place until recently, the text of the agreement has been continuously available to Parliament and public since within a month of its signature.