§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if, having regard to the Report of the Sweating Committee, that
Certain trades are affected by the presence of poor Foreigners, for the most part Russian and Polish Jews,1108 he has taken steps for the enforcement of the Alien Act on the routes of their arrival, as recommended by the Select Committee on the Immigration of Foreigners?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir M. HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W.I would remind my hon. Friend that the Report of the House of Lords' Sweating Committee only says that certain trades are to some extent affected by foreign immigration, while it speaks well of the immigrants in some respects, and does not make any suggestion to prevent immigration. I may say, however, that some time ago, before the issue of this Report, the necessary steps were taken, under powers given by the Alien Act and in other ways, to procure statistical information with regard to the immigration of foreigners as regards vessels arriving from European ports at the principal ports of the United Kingdom. This was done in pursuance of the recommendations of the Committee on the Immigration of Foreigners. The information is now coming in regularly, and the results will be published in the future Annual Reports of the Department, or more frequently if occasion should require.
§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)Do I understand that the provisions of the Alien Act are carried out wholly or partially under his direction, and if only partially to what extent?
§ *SIR M. HICKS BEACHOnly to the extent necessary for obtaining information.