17. Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD BURYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government have agreed to the establishment of Dominion passport offices in the United States of America; and whether he can 8 give the names of the Dominions that are desirous of setting up passport offices of their own in the United State of America?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. An Irish Free State passport control office is, however, with the consent of His Majesty's Government, being set up in New York to deal with the very large number of foreign subjects applying for visas for the Irish Free State.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD-BURYCan the right hon. Gentleman say how it will be possible to prevent any foreigners, desirable or undesirable, from obtaining visas in the Irish Passport Office, coming over to the Irish Free State, and then coming on into this country? Does not that mean setting up a passport office between the Irish Free State and this country?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAll that subject was thoroughly considered before this matter was fixed and the machinery put into operation.
§ Mr. BECKERWill these passports be exactly the same as the passports issued by our Government, or will they be of a special character?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThere is no question of passports; it is a matter of visas.