§ Commander Courtneyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the four Governments with which Her Majesty's Government have special arrangements for an extension of diplomatic immunities are also signatories of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations; and whether, on ratification by the United Kingdom, he will utilise to the full those provisions of the Convention which permit reciprocal action in case of abuse, thereby making it practicable to terminate at an early date the special arrangements referred to, thus bringing this country's diplomatic practice into line with that of the other 80 countries who have signed the Convention.
§ Mr. MathewThe Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations has been signed by all the four countries with which the United Kingdom has special arrangements guaranteeing the maintenance at the present level of the immunity and inviolability accorded to the staffs of their diplomatic missions in London and to the staffs of Her Majesty's diplomatic missions in the capitals of those countries.
445WHer Majesty's Government will continue to expect that these arrangements will be properly honoured in practice. If necessary, they will avail themselves of the powers conferred upon them as parties to the Convention in order to preserve parity of treatment.