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(1) Sub-section (1) of Section one of the principal Act shall be amended by the addition at the end thereof of the following paragraphs:
(1) for determining what nationality is to be ascribed to aliens in doubtful circumstances, and for disregarding, in the case of any person against whom a deportation or expulsion Order has been made, any subsequent change of nationality; and
(m) for prolonging, for a period not exceeding six months after the termination of any war in which His Majesty is engaged, the internment of any persons who during the war have been interned as alien enemies.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODI beg to move, to leave out paragraph (m).
I move this Amendment not with the object of making any change in the Bill so much as to attempt to find out from the Home Office how many of these aliens are still interned. The War has been over now for nine months, and during most of these months we have been maintaining a large number of enemy aliens at these camps, and they have been a charge upon the country, and not only themselves, but their wives and families. I want to know how many are still in these camps, or whether they have all been deported back to their own countries of origin or set at liberty in this country. I would like to know the precise object of this paragraph in the Bill. Peace has not yet been ratified, so that there is no need to release any who are interned. There is no sign of a final 152 peace with Turkey being ratified for some time yet. Why should the Home Office take powers after the ratification of Peace to keep these people interned for a further six months? It is a question of very real hardship, particularly to the British-born wives of many of these interned aliens. Many are the pitiable cases that have come before me of these unfortunate women unable to make both ends meet, while their husbands have been four or five years interned, and only being able to see them once a month, and all this time the poor women have been turned down by all their English friends and relations because of their foreign name. That has been going on year after year, and I think that nine months after the termination of hostilities we might know that the last of these people have been released or sent back to their country. I would like to know whether they have all been dealt with by Mr. Justice Younger's Committee.
§ Mr. SHORTTApparently this Amendment is not moved seriously. It takes the place of an ordinary question set down in the ordinary way. I am not surprised that it is not put seriously, because the words in the paragraph refer to "any war." It is a permanent provision and not a temporary provision. It is a permanent Amendment of the old Act, applying to any wars. If the lion and gallant Member will put down a question, I will get the facts and figures. I cannot carry them in my head. So far as I am aware, I think Mr. Justice Younger has practically finished his work. That is my information. He hoped to have finished it to-day, but whether he has done so or not I cannot say.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODDoes that mean that they are all released when he has finished his work?
§ Mr. SHORTTNot necessarily. Those that are to be repatriated are released, but those that are not are not.
Amendment negatived.