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UK Worldwide Interests

My Lords, the starting point must be that the Foreign Office and our representatives abroad do a first-class job, one that we have all been justifiably proud of. Those of us who have travelled abroad on ministerial visits, in parliamentary delegations or leading trade missions have experienced this excellence at first hand. The perception now, as my noble and learned friend Lord Howe explained so clearly, is that budgetary constraints are taking their toll, jobs are being cut or downgraded and embassies closed, and distinguished diplomats are taking early retirement because the career structure which used to attract the crème de la crème of Civil Service entrants seems to be disappearing. Moreover, the problem is exacerbated because DTI support for trade missions, which was so helpful in encouraging small and medium-sized businesses to seek new markets overseas, has been cut. British Council centres have disappeared and educational exchanges such as the Chevening scholarship programme, which has already been mentioned and is a particularly good and successful example, are suffering reduced finance, high visa costs and other restraints. That is happening not only in Latin America, a region in which I take a particular interest, but all over the world. We can all appreciate that, in these days of instant communication, Ministers are also able to travel the world and new embassies and offices have had to be opened in central and eastern Europe, central Asia and elsewhere because of the very welcome ending of the Cold War. Resources are therefore bound to be stretched. Perversely, however, what appears to be happening is that budgets are being cut. I find it incredible and incomprehensible. We must all be grateful to my noble and learned friend Lord Howe of Aberavon for tabling his Motion and introducing the debate in his customary, thorough way. It gives us the opportunity to seek more clarification and to urge for more openness and transparency. What is going on? Is it all fault of the Treasury, as my noble friend Lord Patten, in his splendid maiden speech, suggested? Do the Government prefer to direct resources in directions and to departments over which they may think they have more direct political control, as has also been suggested? Is it intended that the United Kingdom should join our European partners and be represented by European Union embassies in places such as Latin America? I am informed that the Foreign Office is moving from a geographic to a more sectoral approach. My Question on 2 November, to which reference has already been made, provoked a supplementary from the noble Lord, Lord Lea of Crondall, in which he asked the Minister to put something on the website or to place a note in the Library to explain these changes. It would be helpful if the Minister would let us know whether that has happened. I recently entered into correspondence with the Foreign Secretary at the instigation of a British individual living abroad who suggested that an international corps of Foreign Office volunteers should be established, composed mainly of expatriate Brits who could support embassies, particularly in cultural and social fields. The suggestion has received an extremely polite but not very encouraging response. But it shows what a pass we are in if people living abroad feel it necessary to, as it were, subsidise the Foreign Office in its activities. Nevertheless, in referring to the idea of voluntary support for our embassies, we should recognise the very valuable help and support given by organisations such as the English Speaking Union. It should also be said that the honorary consuls and consular wardens now appointed at certain overseas posts are doing an excellent job. I can vouch for that on a personal basis as I was in Paraguay in August. The British embassy there was closed in July. Incidentally, our ambassador in Buenos Aires, who has been appointed to cover Paraguay as well as Argentina, has not only not been given additional resources to do so but has in fact had his staff and budget cut. I am straying from the point that I wanted to make, which is that the honorary British consul in Asuncion, who is a Paraguayan of Italian and Spanish descent, is doing an important job together with the voluntary British-Paraguayan chamber of commerce in keeping the British flag flying. Fortunately, my noble friend Lord Garel-Jones has made more extensive references to Latin America and the historic links and goodwill which exist there for the United Kingdom than time permits me to do. I therefore look forward to hearing the Minister’s reply and trust that he appreciates that most of the accusations for stinginess are being directed at the Treasury and not at the hard-pressed Foreign Office.