§ 27. Mr. AMMONasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether any members of the Oversea Settlement Board have visited and inquired into settlement schemes abroad; and what have been the results of such visits?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Mr. Malcolm MacDonald)Two members of the Board have recently made visits oversea in the course of which they were able to acquire much useful information in regard to migration questions. Lady Reading has visited Canada, and Brigadier-General Nation has inspected certain settlement schemes in the Argentine. The information gained by these visits has, I understand, been communicated to the Board. In addition, the Chairman of the Board is now visiting Australia and New Zealand.
§ Mr. LOGANDoes the right hon. Gentleman say that the visit of Lady Reading would be in any way useful from the point of view of emigration?
§ Mr. MacDONALDLady Reading brought back a most valuable report containing much information on the subject.
§ Mr. H. G. WILLIAMSHas the Over-sea Settlement Department received any communication from abroad with regard to this visit?
§ Mr. MacDONALDI am not aware that they have received any communication on that point from overseas.
Mr. J. J. DAVIDSONHas the right hon. Gentleman received any report as to the attitude of mind of the local inhabitants?
§ Mr. MacDONALDActual settlers have been visited and, no doubt, their attitude of mind was conveyed to those making the visit.
§ 28. Mr. AMMONasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether any attempts have been made to invite the Dominions' Governments to cooperate in devising schemes of migration settlement?
§ Mr. MacDONALDAs will be seen from the interim report of the Oversea Settlement Board which has been published as Command Paper 5314, the board have had the advantage of hearing orally the views of certain Dominion Ministers who have been in this country recently. No opportunity will be overlooked of such further consultation with Dominion Governments as can usefully be made.
§ Mr. MacDONALDThe hon. Gentleman will have seen in the Press that the Australian Commonwealth Government have sent a circular on the question to the State Governments. I am not in receipt of any further information in regard to that up to the present.
§ Mr. LUNNIs there anything whatever in the report which says that the Dominion Governments are anxious for settlers to go from this country?
§ Mr. MacDONALDIf the hon. Gentleman reads the report, he will see that the answer is in the negative.
§ 29. Mr. ANNESLEY SOMERVILLEasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the new Bill for the renewal of the Empire Settlement Act, 1922, will contain a greater financial provision than the old Act, with a view to encouraging settlement in the Dominions?
§ Mr. MacDONALDI would refer to the Money Resolution in connection with Empire Settlement which is already on the Order Paper in the name of my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. I shall explain, in the course of the discussion on the Resolution, the Government's proposals regarding financial provision.
§ Mr. SOMERVILLEDoes the right hon. Gentleman intend to encourage voluntary emigration societies financially?
§ Mr. MacDONALDPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will wait until the Debate takes place, when I can go into the matter very fully.
§ Mr. PALINGAre the numbers coming back from the Dominions still greater than the numbers going in?
§ 30. Mr. A. SOMERVILLEasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether any specific schemes for oversea settlement have been examined by the Board; and, if so, what have been the results?
§ Mr. MacDONALD:I would invite my hon. Friend's attention to the interim report of the Oversea Settlement Board for the period February to July, 1936, where it is stated that certain schemes of land settlement have been under examination by the Board, but that they have not yet been able to make a recommendation to me upon them. This remains the position, except that the Board have since informed me that they are unable to make a recommendation in favour of the scheme for settlement in Manitoba, which was one of the schemes referred to.
§ 31. Mr. SOMERVILLEasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the Oversea Settlement Board are authorised to consider the subject of migration from the point of view of defence of the Dominions and the Colonies?
§ Mr. MacDONALDI have no doubt that in considering proposals for migration within die Empire the Oversea Settlement Board will take all relevant considerations into account, including the general defence position.
§ Brigadier-General Sir HENRY CROFTIs it the intention of the Government to give a lead on this subject to the Dominions oversea to show that they are ready to look into schemes?
| British North America (Canada and Newfoundland). | Australia. | New Zealand. | ||||
| — | Migrants from U.K. | Immigrants to U.K. | Migrants from U.K. | Immigrants to U.K. | Migrants from U. K. | Immigrants from U.K. |
| 1931 | 7,620 | 17,864 | 4,459 | 11,747 | 2,266 | 3,623 |
| 1932 | 3,104 | 21,187 | 4,595 | 7,700 | 1,554 | 3,327 |
| 1933 | 2,243 | 16,371 | 4,200 | 6,417 | 1,233 | 2,112 |
| 1934 | 2,167 | 12,128 | 4,572 | 6,022 | 1,191 | 1,925 |
| 1935 | 2,175 | 9,712 | 4,552 | 5,228 | 1,440 | 2,206 |
| 1933* | 1,816 | 6,611 | 2,620 | 4,576 | 906 | 1,652 |
| * 9 months only. |
§ Mr. G. GRIFFITHSWill the right hon. Gentleman consider, when it comes to emigration, that they must be over 60 years of age?
§ Mr. MacDONALDIf a lead is to be given on the matter, it must be by the Dominion Governments and this Government in co-operation.
§ 32. Mr. LUNNasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what were the total numbers of migrants leaving Great Britain for Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, separately in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936; and what are the numbers who have returned from the same Dominions to this country in those years?
§ Mr. MacDONALDAs the answer contains tables of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the figures referred to:
§ The numbers of British subjects who were recorded in the passenger lists furnished to the Board of Trade as leaving permanent residence (by which is understood residence for a year or more) in the United Kingdom to take up permanent residence in British North America, Australia and New Zealand, and the number of such persons who were recorded as leaving permanent residence in those countries to take up permanent residence in the United Kingdom during each of the years 1931 to 1935 and during the first nine months of the year 1936 (the latest date to which figures are available), are as follow: