Oral Answers to Questions — Transport. – in the House of Commons at on 30 July 1934.
Sir Annesley Somerville
, Windsor
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that persons who suffer injury as the result of careless driving by members of diplomatic missions in this country can be prevented by a claim of diplomatic privilege from recovering any compensation from the insurers of the third-party risk, and seeing that such persons, so far as obtaining compensation by the operation of insurance is concerned, are not in the same position as persons injured by members of the public, he will take steps forthwith to put them in the same position?
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary informed my hon. Friend on the 16th July, members of foreign diplomatic missions in London are generally insured against third party risks, and they consequently pay the usual premium. This being so, they have no object in assisting their insurance companies to evade their obligation by claiming diplomatic privilege, and in any proper case he would be prepared to ask the Ambassador or Minister concerned to inform the insurance company that he would waive his privilege or that of a member of his staff, if the plea of privilege were raised by the company. There is a decision of the courts that, if privilege is waived by the diplomatic agent, the company will not be able to make use of this plea, and there is also reason to suppose that, even if the privilege were not waived, the plea is not one on which an insurance company could escape liability before a court of law in an action by the assured on the policy. It is not, however, possible to enact legislation depriving members of foreign missions of the privileges which they enjoy under international law.
Sir Annesley Somerville
, Windsor
While thanking my right hon. Friend for his answer, may I ask him if he is aware that such a case has occurred in which serious personal injury was caused by particularly reckless driving on the part of a member of the German Embassy; and will my right hon. Friend act as he has just said he could in this matter?
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
Perhaps my hon. Friend will let me have the particulars, and I will look into them.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
