§ 10. Captain STREATFEILDasked the Home Secretary how many persons convicted of spreading revolutionary propaganda have been deported since 1st January, 1925; and, of these, how many are subjects of the Russian Soviet Government?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to my noble and gallant Friend the Member for the Newark Division on the 16th instant. I am afraid that I cannot undertake a further search to the date mentioned by my hon. Friend. I can only repeat what I said on the 10th March, namely, that it is most rare to find an alien at the present time who indulges in such propaganda.
§ Captain STREATFEILDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the question to which he refers applied to the number of aliens deported since the termination of the stoppage in the coal trade? I was trying to get data as from 1st January, 1925.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe difficulty is that the aliens who are deported are not classified in any particular list as to whether they were aliens, Communists or criminals of any particular type. [An HON. MEMBER: "Or Tories".] That is very rarely the case, and I think my hon. and gallant Friend may be satisfied that 539 all those of whom I had knowledge as having been actively engaged in unlawful propaganda have been deported.
§ Mr. TAYLORHas the Home Secretary had any occasion to make any representations to the Russian Government as to the behaviour of any Russian residents in England?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDCan the right hon. Gentleman say what is meant by revolutionary propaganda? Will he give a definition?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIt is a little difficult within the short space of an answer to a question to give an indication of what is meant by revolutionary propaganda, but I shall be glad to confer with the hon. Member if he does not already know.