§ 15. Mr. W. Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that when Miss J. B. Paterson, 53, Somerton Road, Cricklewood, recently applied for a passport she was required to show her return ticket or a 826 receipt from the tourist agency through which she was booking her passage; that she was questioned as to the country to which she would be travelling, whether the journey was being undertaken through a tourist agency, what route she was taking, whether she was going alone or with a party, whether she possessed private means on which to live in case of her not coming back, and where she was working; and whether, and on what grounds, these questions are put to all applicants for passports?
§ Viscount CranborneI understand that Miss Paterson, who is aged 21, applied in October last for a passport for all European countries. She gave her occupation as almoner, but stated that she was unemployed. The questions put to her were usual in such cases, both in the interests of the applicant, to ascertain that her return journey was provided for, and to ensure that there was no danger of her becoming stranded in a distant country and having to be repatriated at the public expense. On production of satisfactory evidence of this the passport was issued at once.