§ Mr. Bowen Wellsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is now in a position to give details of the Diplomatic Service posts which are to be closed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThe posts are as follows
Santo Domingo, Vientiane, Antwerp, Blantyre, Cagliari, Gothenburg, Halifax, Salonika, Vigo and Zagreb.In addition, I have decided to postpone the planned reopening of an embassy in Conakry and to merge the posts of ambassador to Austria and head of delegation to the MBFR talks in Vienna.
These closures will inevitably mean that Diplomatic Service coverage in the political and consular fields and our support for exporters will not be as comprehensive as in the past, but I am satisfied that overall British interests are better protected by concentrating resources on slightly fewer areas where they are most needed.
We shall be making arrangements for non-resident representation in Santo Domingo and Vientiane.
We are also considering the appointment of honorary consuls where appropriate. An honorary consul gives on-the-spot assistance to British nationals who are in serious difficulties or involved in emergencies; and can also provide useful contacts with local authorities, commerce and industry.