HC Deb 24 June 1919 vol 117 cc10-3
13. Mr. LYLE

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of aliens who have entered this country during the last six months, distinguishing them according to nationality?

The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Shortt)

I will circulate a statement showing the numbers and main nationalities of alien passengers who have landed in this country each week since the end of last March, at which date the lessening pressure of war work first rendered it possible to keep the statistics available from week to week. It will be seen that the weekly average is 3,508, of whom more than two-thirds are French, Belgians, Americans, and Italians. I may add that a very large proportion of these passengers are en route to other countries, and of the rest a large percentage arc business men and officials making repeated journeys to and fro.

The statement referred to is as follows:—

NUMBER OF ALIEN PASSENGERS LANDED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. Classified according to Nationality.
During week ending Nationality.
French. Belgians. Scandinavians (including Danes). U.S.A. Italians. Dutch. Other Nationalities. Total.
29–3–19 … 656 537 296 365 158 163 302 2,477
5–4–19 … 674 605 472 463 206 198 410 3,028
12–4–19 … 739 703 307 666 222 227 479 3,343
19–4–19 … 698 561 306 611 266 148 365 2,955
26–4–19 … 787 852 272 374 194 231 463 3,173
3–5–19 … 867 856 413 498 342 174 506 3,656
10–5–19 … 1,003 942 469 755 246 260 605 4,280
17–6–19 … 869 795 428 403 304 282 435 3,516
24–5–19 … 839 821 478 572 313 296 665 3,984
31–5–19 … 770 797 452 633 321 229 470 3,672
7–6–19 … 883 790 477 966 298 225 540 4,179
14–6–19 … 907 699 381 631 389 238 592 3,837

Mr. LYLE

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is perfectly satisfied that amongst that large number there are not a large number of dangerous criminals?

Mr. SHORTT

There may be some dangerous criminals that get in by error, but they are certainly not a large number.

39. Mr. LYLE

asked the Minister of Labour whether the Labour Exchanges record on their lists of unemployed the names of many aliens; and whether preference is given in all cases of potential employment to British-born subjects?

Sir R.HORNE

The number of aliens included in the lists of unemployed recorded at the Exchanges is very small. In all cases of potential employment, preference is given to British subjects; and no alien is placed by an Exchange in a vacancy for which suitable British labour is available.

Mr. BILLING

Is it not a fact that hundreds and thousands of British labourers are receiving unemployment pay while thousands of aliens are doing work which the British unemployed could be doing, and will the right hon. Gentleman recommend to the Government that some steps should be taken to rectify this?

Sir R. HORNE

I am not aware of what the hon. Member suggests.

Mr. BILLING

Is it not a fact that many aliens are actually drawing unemployment pay in this country to-day?

Sir R. HORNE

There may be exceptional cases of them drawing unemployment pay.

Mr. BILLING

Does the right hon. Gentleman propose to continue the practice of the British taxpayers paying unemployment pay to aliens?

Sir R. HORNE

That depends entirely upon the circumstances under which the aliens were brought here and the work they are employed upon.

The following question stood upon the Paper in the name of Sir J. BUTCHER: 49. To ask the Prime Minister whether he is now in a position to publish the Report of Lord Justice Bankes' Committee on the employment in the Civil Service of aliens and persons of alien descent, which was presented to the Prime Minister on 14th February last; what is the number of aliens and persons of alien descent found by that Report to be employed in the Civil Service; and how soon will the Government commence to take action on the Report?

Sir J. BUTCHER

Inasmuch as the Report to which this question relates has been published, I desire only to ask the last part of the question?

Mr. SHORTT

The Report has been published and contains the information that the hon. Baronet requires. As to the last part of the question, I am not in a position to make any statement.

Sir J. BUTCHER

Has any action at all been taken upon the Report of that Committee?

Mr. SHORTT

I am not in a position to make any statement.

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