§ MR. CLAUDE HAYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when and what measures he proposes to take to carry out the pledge given by His Majesty's Government through the President of the Board of Trade to reduce the naturalisation fees.
§ MR. LEVERTON HARRIS (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)May I also ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in the event of the naturalisation fees being reduced, such an arrangement will be retrospective, and will involve any return of the present fees paid by naturalised British subjects?
§ MR. GLADSTONEOn 3rd April the decision of the Government that the fee should not be reduced was circulated to the House in the form of a printed Answer to my hon. friend the Member for North Salford. No pledge on behalf of the Government was given by the President of the Board of Trade. Even if any reduction of the fee were made, it could not have a retrospective effect.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the President of the Board of Trade publicly declared to a deputation of Jews in North-West Manchester that the Government would reduce the naturalisation fees?
§ MR. GLADSTONEThat is not my information. Perhaps the hon. Member will wait and put a Question to the right hon. Member for Dundee.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYMay I ask whether, if the right hon. Gentleman is supplied with a verbatim report of the speech of the President of the Board of Trade, he will take that undertaking as binding on the Government?
§ MR. GLADSTONEThe hon. Member may take as binding what I say on behalf of my Department on my own responsibility.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYThen are we to understand that the Home Secretary disowns the President of the Board of Trade?
§ MR. GLADSTONENot in the least.