§ 53. Mr. CROFTasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the fact that emigration to foreign countries in the first three months of this year has increased more rapidly than emigration to British Dominions; and what steps he is taking, if any, to keep such emigration under the British flag?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe excess of passengers of British nationality leaving for ports in foreign countries out of Europe over those arriving in the United Kingdom direct from foreign ports not in Europe was, during the first three months of the current year, 24.3 per cent. of the balance of outward over inward passengers of British nationality to all countries out of Europe. The corresponding figure for 1912 was 22.7 per cent. These figures do not suggest that interference on the part of the British Government with the free choice by emigrants of their future homes is called for.