§ 2. Mr. ANNESLEY SOMERVILLEasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the Oversea Settlement Board is taking steps to encourage or initiate schemes which will lead to an early resumption of migration?
§ 5 and 6. Mr. AMMONasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (1) whether any progress in preparing and submitting schemes has been made by the Oversea Settlement Board;
(2) whether a decision has been reached as to the desirability, or otherwise, of approaching any of the Dominions on the subject of immigration?
Mr. M. MacDONALDThe Oversea Settlement Board is actively engaged upon a general review of the possibilities of the early resumption of migration, in the light of past experience and present economic conditions overseas. In this they have so far had the advantage of informal discussions with Ministers of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Premiers of two of the Australian States and representatives of a number of voluntary organisations interested in the question of oversea, settlement. The position has not yet been reached, however, where the board have found it possible to recommend specific schemes.
§ Mr. SOMERVILLEWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to see that this important subject is placed on the agenda of the Imperial Conference next year?
§ Mr. LUNNHas the right hon. Gentleman received from any of the 1567 Dominions any schemes for restarting emigration which are likely to be acceptable?
§ Mr. AMMONHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention been called to the Alberta scheme for settlement? Is that one of the schemes under consideration?
Mr. MacDONALDI understand that certain unofficial inquiries are being made into that scheme on the spot, and the Oversea Settlement Board are expecting to hear further about it when the representatives of the unofficial organisation return to this country.
§ 3. Mr. SOMERVILLEasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has consulted the Governments of the Dominions upon the need for full discussion of the question of Empire development and settlement at the approaching Imperial Conference?
Mr. MacDONALDThe agenda for the proposed Imperial Conference next year is under consideration. I will certainly bear in mind the possibility of including the subject to which my hon. Friend refers.
§ 4. Mr. SOMERVILLEasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether, in view of the probable early resumption of migration, he will consider the advisability of again affording financial help to the voluntary societies which have been actively engaged in the past in the work of migration and settlement, with a view to keeping their machinery efficient?
Mr. MacDONALDAt the present time, assisted migration is virtually in abeyance and it would, I think, be premature to consider the question of a renewal of Government assistance to voluntary societies. But I can assure my hon. Friend that the value of the work performed by voluntary societies in the past is fully recognised, and that when a resumption of migration on any material scale becomes practicable, careful consideration will be given, in the light of the recommendations made on the subject by the Inter-Departmental Committee on 1568 Migration Policy, to the question of what assistance may appropriately be afforded by the Government to approved societies.
§ Mr. SOMERVILLEWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that answer, may I ask whether he is aware that some of these societies, which have done most valuable work in the past, as testified by the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee, of which he was chairman, are now in sore straits owing to the effort to keep their machinery in being, and will he not consider the desirability of giving them immediate help?
Mr. MacDONALDI think the answer that I have given covers those points. If there are any particular cases to which my hon. Friend would like to draw my attention, perhaps he will let me know of them.