§ 11. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give the number of immigrants and their nationalities who came into this 3067 country during the years 1927, 1928, and 1929; and the number of emigrants who left this country during the same years?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Short)As the answer contains a number of figures I shall, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. C. WILLIAMSThe Under-Secretary can tell us whether the numbers are increasing or decreasing. Will he give us a summary? He could do so quite easily.
§ Mr. SHORTIt would be much better if the hon. Member would read the full answer. It is quite full.
§ Mr. HALL-CAINEIs the number increasing or decreasing?
§ Mr. SHORTI will read the answer:
During the year 1927 the total numbers of alien passengers excluding transmigrants, landed and embarked in the United Kingdom were 412,686 and 409,925. The corresponding figures for 1928 were, landed 439,419, embarked 432,853, and for 1929, landed 457,414, embarked 449,645. For further details and an analysis of the figures I would refer the hon. Member to the statistics in regard to alien passengers for 1927 and 1928 (Command Papers 3130 and 3332) and the Quarterly Returns of Alien Passengers for 1929 (Command Papers 3334 and 3334, I, II and III). As regards British emigrants I understand from my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade that figures will be found in the Board of Trade Journals of the 7th March, 1929, and the 6th March, 1930. I will send copies of the journals to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. C. WILLIAMSMay I have a copy of those particulars?
§ Mr. HALL-CAINEDoes it not appear from those figures that there are more people coming into this country and taking up their residence here than there are going out; and, in view of the appalling number of unemployed, will the hon. Gentleman consider the question of putting some restriction on foreigners coming into this country and residing here and taki ng British work away from British workers?
§ Mr. SHORTMy right hon. Friend has these matters always under observation, and I would point out that at present no one can come into this country and take employment except with a permit 3068 from the Ministry of Labour. [...] will certainly see that these particulars are sent to the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams).