§ Sir G. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has received from Midland chambers of commerce as to the facilities afforded to them in the United States of America by the staffs of the British Embassy and British consulates in their export promotions.
§ Mr. M. StewartI have investigated the criticisms made of the arrangements for this visit and conclude that there were certain shortcomings in the organisation of the Mission's programme in New York. These were due mainly to the failure of the Leicester Chamber of Commerce to provide adequate information about the Mission's requirements, but partly also to some lack of co-ordination between the Leicester Chamber, the British-American Chamber of Commerce, which was in general charge of the arrangements, and the Consulate-General. The Consulate-General which was brought in at a very late stage has already expressed regret. I am glad to say that arrangements for the visits of this Mission to Los Angeles and Chicago appear to have been satisfactory and the tour of the United States in general to have been regarded as successful.
The criticisms expressed by the Leicester Chamber are notably at variance with the many tributes paid by exporters of wide experience, including other export missions, who have found 191W our staff, whether at New York or elsewhere, efficient and helpful. As hon. Members will know, commercial work is now a first charge on the resources of the Diplomatic Service. It is up to individual export missions to brief themselves in good time on the markets which they propose to visit and to let chambers of commerce and our posts abroad know their requirements well in advance.