§ Lord Thomas of Swynnertonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 22nd November 1984 (Commons Hansard, Cols. 425–427), they are now in a position to give details of the Diplomatic Service posts which are to be closed.
§ Baroness YoungThe 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 he 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.