§ Mr. Tilneyasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps he has taken to ensure that those appointed to serve in the staff of the British High Commission in Commonwealth countries in Africa have a good knowledge of the main African language of the country concerned.
§ Mr. SandysAll senior Commonwealth Service officers serving overseas are encouraged to learn Commonwealth languages other than English in countries where this knowledge will be to the public advantage. For the more widely-spoken languages their tuition fees are paid from official funds. As regards Africa, where of course most of our Missions are comparatively new, approval has been given for training in Hausa and Swahili and, in consultation with the High Commissioners concerned, I am considering whether there are any other African languages which should be similarly covered.