HC Deb 04 December 1906 vol 166 c749
SIR HOWARD VINCENT

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has at length succeeded in ridding the country of those bands of foreign gipsies who for the past six months have put the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, North-amptonshire, Lancashire and Nottingham-shire, and many of the cities and boroughs within them, to great expense, and exposed the inhabitants to assaults, damage, and other crimes, besides the evils of begging and fortune telling and divers contagious disorders.

* THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE, Leeds, W.)

Yes, Sir. As I informed the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth in reply to his Question yesterday, † the two bands of gipsies who have for some time been wandering about the country were successfully repatriated last week.

SIR HOWARD VINCENT

Now that the right hon. Gentleman has got rid of the gipsies will he introduce legislation to prevent them coming in again?

* MR. GLADSTONE

I am afraid that under present circumstances I can hold out no hope of that.

SIR HOWARD VINCENT

Will the right hon Gentleman instruct the Immigration Board not to admit them again?

* MR. GLADSTONE

My hon. friend knows I have no power to do that.