§ * SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that some doubt exists as to the eight ports at which it is intended to appoint immigration officers and to which the landing of immigrants under the Aliens Bill, should ii become law, is to be confined; and 684 whether (in addition to Leith, the Tyne, Hull, Grimsby, Southampton, and London) Harwich and Hartlepool are to be included and Dover and Newhaven to be excluded from the list.
§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLASIn introducing the Bill, I stated that it was proposed to deal, in the first instance, with the organised immigration traffic, 97 per cent, of which comes to eight ports extending' from Leith to Southampton. The eight ports I had in my mind were, as may be seen by looking at the Board of Trade Returns, London, Grimsby, Hull, New-haven, Southampton, the Tyne, Leith, and Harwich; but power is reserved to-strike out ports from this list or to add ports to it as may be found desirable.
§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLASThere are-practically none of these immigrants, coming via Folkestone.
§ MR. WILLIAM RUTHERFORD (Liverpool, West Derby)Is Liverpool included?
§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLASNo Sir, but perhaps I may be allowed to deal with these matters in debate. I have said that some extra machinery may be required to deal with aliens who have been rejected in America and may come back here.