Immunities and Privileges

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 20 April 1972.

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Photo of Hon. Sam Silkin Hon. Sam Silkin , Camberwell Dulwich 12:00, 20 April 1972

I always take pleasure in dealing with orders such as these in the presence of the Under- Secretary of State, for I always feel that there is a complete meeting of minds on them. They are certainly a closed book to me. However, since the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mr. Goodhart) has now enlightened me considerably about one of them, I should like to add the Opposition's welcome to the first order which I understand will enable us to ratify the Convention.

The Minister has given some explanation about the other order which refers to the so-called Interim Commission for the International Trade Organisation, members of which are the permanent staff of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. I believe that the Interim Commission was set up as long ago as 1948, so it has been interim for a very long time. I am informed that by virtue of their status as members of the Interim Commission of this non-existent United Nations Specialised Agency, the officials of GATT enjoy the privileges and immunities of an international organisation.

Now, some 24 years later, we are, as I understand it, taking steps to provide exemption for those who live in the United Kingdom and I assume that, apart from the few officers and employees who have been mentioned, this would also apply to pensioners who are resident in this country.

The way in which this is done is, I gather, by an exchange of notes, in the course of which our permanent representative wrote saying that he had the honour to inform the officer concerned … that the Government of the United Kingdom are prepared to accord to officials of the Commission exemption from taxation on the salaries and emoluments paid to them by the Commission. He added: If the foregoing proposal is acceptable to the Commission, I have the honour to propose that this note, together with your reply, will be an agreement …". Not surprisingly, it was found to be acceptable. I only wish I had received a similar document addressed to me by those responsible for my income tax.

Perhaps we could be told why this arrangement has lasted for some 24 years without this order becoming necessary on an earlier occasion. Does it apply to both employees and pensioners?