asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the delay in granting a visa to the Tibetan delegation to enter Hong Kong.

As the hon. Member will be aware, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have no representative in Tibet, and there is no direct channel of communication between the Tibetans and ourselves. In these circumstances, delay in a matter of this kind is unavoidable.

As His Majesty's Government refuse to give any sort of visa to the Tibetan delegation to go to Hong Kong, is this a question purely of delay, or is it because they are recognising the claim of the Communist Government of China to Tibet?

No, Sir. There is no question of any recognition of that sort. At the present time there is some doubt about the functions of this mission and that is why the matter is in suspense at the present moment.