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Cultural Identity Cards

Volume 476: debated on Monday 26 June 1950

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asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will take steps to make the Brussels Treaty Cultural Identity Cards, under which additional facilities such as foreign currency and cheap transport will be available to British subjects travelling in the countries covered by the Brussels Treaty, available to engineers, doctors, barristers, solicitors, veterinary surgeons, certain grades of civil servants, local government officers, Members of Parliament, factory managers and trade union officials in addition to teachers, scientists, painters, sculptors, musicians and actors in order to encourage them to travel and reside abroad to improve their professional knowledge and do research work.

The scope of the Brussels Treaty Cultural Identity Card scheme was defined by the five Brussels Treaty Powers and any proposal to include new categories of recipients would have to be approved by them. The scheme will be reviewed on the international level in about four months' time and I shall arrange for the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion to be discussed. Incidentally, I should like to point out that the facilities available to card holders vary from country to country, that they do not always represent concessions exclusively available to card holders, and that the card does not entitle British subjects to any specific allowances of foreign currency.