§ 1. Colonel DAYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of passports that have been issued to unmarried females between the ages of 16 and 22 for the purpose of visiting France, Germany, or any of the South American States for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; whether the application for the passport has stated if same was required for holiday, study or work;
1978 and, if for the latter purpose are any and, if so, what inquiries made as to the bona fides of the intended employer previous to the passports being granted?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir Austen Chamberlain)The statistics required by the first part of the question would entail the examination of over 200,000 applications. A statement as to the purpose of the journey is required in all applications for passports, and in the case of applications from young women and girls, special precautions are taken and, where necessary, inquiries are made through British Consuls and other sources as to the bona fides of the prospective employer and the conditions of the employment.
§ Colonel DAYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that many girls receive contracts to go to South America, and when they get there there is no work for them, and they have to go into licensed houses?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI have not been able to give so much study to the Report submitted to the League on this subject as I might wish. The copy only reached me just on the eve of my departure. I do not think there are many English girls or women who have been trapped.
§ Colonel DAYWill the right hon. Gentleman take precautions, if any girls are offered engagements in South America in future, to find out the bona fides of their employers?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINYes. Every precaution is taken that can be taken to see that girls are not trapped in these places.
§ 2. Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is the practice of the Passport Office, in cases where a British subject has changed his name by deed poll, even if it is only his Christian name, to insist upon the original name appearing upon any passport issued to that person subsequently; and, if so, will he state the reason?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINIt is the invariable rule that in eases of change of name a reference to the former name shall appear, but such reference can take 1979 the form of a simple statement in the observations column of the passport. A passport, being an official document of identity and nationality, must contain a reference to the name in which the holder acquired his British nationality, i.e., the name in which his birth was registered, or in which he was naturalised.