§ Mr. Masonasked the Lord Privy Seal what restrictions are placed upon Embassy officials abroad by the Governments of the countries concerned, specifying the countries; and to what extent relaxations have taken place in the last ten years.
§ Mr. P. ThomasI presume the Question refers to travel restrictions. Such restrictions on British Embassy officials are imposed by the Governments of the following countries:
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: Forty-eight hours' notice is required for all journeys of more than forty kilometres (about twenty-five miles) from the centre of Moscow. In addition, large areas of the country are completely closed to foreign officials. Arbitrary restrictions on travel to parts of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which are theoretically open are also imposed on Embassy officials from time to time. There has been no relaxation over the last ten years. On the contrary, in 1957, for example, the list of closed areas was revised with the effect of considerably extending the 92W areas out of bounds. We have made repeated representations to the Soviet Government for the abolition of these restrictions on a reciprocal basis, but without success.
Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Roumania: No notification of journeys is required from civilan officials but there are military and other forbidden zones where they may not go, some of them fairly extensive. Service Attaches in Prague are, however, still required to give notice if they intend to spend a night outside the capital. Apart from this, travel restrictions have progressively been abolished and have now come to an end in all these countries.
Chinese People's Republic: Members of diplomatic missions in Peking are, generally speaking, not allowed to travel further than twenty kilometres from the centre of Peking without first obtaining permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Forty-eight hours' notice is required. Permission to travel beyond these limits, except to a number of specified cities and resorts, has almost invariably been refused in recent years.
There are also countries in the Middle East and Africa, such as Saudi Arabia and most of the former French territories, which require Embassy officials, as a formality, to notify the authorities of certain intended journeys outside the general area of their capitals.
There are, of course, military zones or restricted areas temporarily or permanently closed to foreigners in other countries too numerous to list here but it is the countries listed above which at present impose the most systematised travel restrictions on British Embassy officials.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Lord Privy Seal whether any restrictions are placed upon the movements of foreign Embassy officials in this country, specifying their nations; and to what extent they are restricted.
§ Mr. P. ThomasYes. We require members of the Soviet and Chinese diplomatic missions in London to notify us of their journeys outside the London area because they restrict the movements of our diplomatic representatives in their countries. We ask them to submit written notifications of travel at least two days in advance of their intended departure 93W for all journeys of more than thirty-five miles from Hyde Park Corner. We have frequently proposed the abolition of these restrictions on a reciprocal basis to the Soviet Government, so far without success.