§ Read 3a (according to Order).
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THE EARL OF ONSLOW moved an Amendment to Clause 9 (8), which subsection reads as follows—
(8) If such licence is not granted, or if, having been granted, it is revoked, the Secretary of State shall make an order (in this Act referred to as a deportation order) requiring the alien to leave the United Kingdom and thereafter to remain out of the United Kingdom for a period of seven years after the passing of this Act. The Secretary of State may by a deportation order require the alien to return to the country of which he is a subject or citizen.
§ The noble Earl's Amendment was to leave out "for a period of seven years after the passing of this Act," and to insert "so long as the order remains in force."
§ The noble Earl said: I have handed in two Amendments to give effect to two suggestions which were made yesterday on the Report stage by the noble and learned Lords, Lord Buckmaster and Lord Phillimore, and I must apologise to the House that these Amendments have not been printed and circulated. There has not been time, since they were drafted, to do so. I have privately consulted the noble Lords who are concerned, and I think they have no objection to them. The first Amendment deals with a point first raised on an Amendment put down by Lord Newton, which, however, he did not move. The noble and learned Lord, Lord Buckmaster, expressed the hope that some Amendment such as was suggested should be considered, and the Lord Chancellor agreed to consider the question. The noble and learned Lord, Lord Buckmaster, I think favoured the introduction of the phrase "not exceeding seven Years," but after careful consideration the Government do not feel that they can accept it and prefer the alternative proposed. There appears to be little reason why a deportation order made under this section should not be on the same footing as any other deportation order made under the general powers of the Secretary of State, that is, should remain in force until it is revoked, but the Secretary of State should have power at any time to revoke it.
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Amendment moved—
Clause 9, page 6, line 22, leave out from "kingdom" to "the" in line 23, and insert ("so long as the Order remains in force").—(The Earl of Onslow.)
§ VISCOUNT BRYCEI rather regret that the Government are not able to accept the Amendment suggested by Lord Buck-master. I think the argument advanced by the noble Earl only goes to show that it is desirable to have uniformity with what exists in regards other deportation orders. Those of us who think that the period of seven years was too long in the other case do not, of course, wish to see it imitated here.
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
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THE EARL OF ONSLOW moved an Amendment in Clause 10 (4) which subsection reads as follows—
(4) Where any former enemy alien, formerly resident in the United Kingdom, and having a British-born wife or a British-born child under the age of sixteen still resident in the United Kingdom, applies, within three months from the passing of this Act, to the Secretary of State for permission to land in the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State shall refer the application to the advisory committee constituted under the last foregoing section of this Act, and, if that committee recommends that he be permitted to land, the requirement of this section that permission to remain in the United Kingdom shall be limited to a period of three months shall not apply.
The noble Earl's Amendment was, after "land" where that word secondly occurs, to insert "he shall be so permitted, and." The noble Earl said: This is a valuable suggestion made by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Phillimore, and it is really a purely drafting Amendment. I should mention one more point. With reference to questions addressed to me last night by the noble Lord, Lord Bryce, and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Phillimore, I can assure the noble Lords that applications for admission to this country by persons connected with literature, science, and art, or by persons who desire to come here to attend conferences, such as those promoted by the International Law Association, will receive sympathetic consideration at the Home Office. Such visits, however, will ordinarily be of a transient nature, and there seems, therefore, to be no reason for including in the Bill a special provision, even if a satisfactory definition of the class of visits intended could be arrived at, for the limitation of three months not to apply to their visits. Such applications must in every case be considered on their merits, and weight will have to be given to such considerations. To take the case of musicians, for instance, it might be proposed to give a public performance which in certain conditions of public opinion might give rise to disturbance. I trust that this assurance will be satisfactory to the noble Viscount.
§ VISCOUNT BRYCEI accept with pleasure the assurance given by the noble Earl that these applications will be considered. I was thinking of the cases of scientific conferences, and so on, of learned men which used to take place from time to time, particularly in connection with the Association of Academists. That has been 206 suspended for the present so far as enemy Powers are concerned, but when it is restored then it will be distinctly desirable that scientific and learned men from other countries, who come here for scientific and learned objects and whose services are generally valuable to the whole scientific world, should not be precluded from taking part in deliberations for the common good.
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.