§ 20. Mr. RENDALLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, seeing that the Registration of Foreigners Act of 1906 provides that, when satisfactory arrangements have been made with any foreign country, Orders in Council may be issued requiring the 241 foreign party to a proposed marriage to notify the marriage authority that he or she is subject to the foreign law, and punishing anyone who solemnises the marriage without a certificate that the foreign law has been satisfied, and seeing that these provisions are a dead letter, as no such Orders in Council have ever been issued, he can say whether any attempt has been made to come to an arrangement on this matter with foreign countries; and, if not, why not?
Mr. HARMSWORTHConsiderable correspondence has passed between His Majesty's Government and the Governments of foreign countries with regard to the conclusion of the arrangements contemplated by Section 2 of the Act. It revealed many serious difficulties in the way of arriving at comprehensive arrangements owing to the variety and complexity of the marriage laws of different foreign countries, though as the outcome it appeared probable that in the case of certain countries such arrangements could he made. As an initial step, however, it seemed necessary to complete the arrangements to be made under Section I of the Act and the issue of the Order in Council contemplated by Section 3, matters which were in process of settlement when interrupted by the outbreak of War.
§ Mr. RENDALLIs it our intention to carry out the Act, and to make arrangements?
Mr. HARMSWORTHYes. I hope the activities which were interrupted by the War will shortly be resumed.