HC Deb 07 July 1937 vol 326 cc349-50
58. Mr. Loftus

asked the Home Secretary whether he will authorise the granting of facilities for week-end tourist traffic without passports from Great Yarmouth to Ostend?

Sir S. Hoare

I presume my hon. Friend is referring to an application by the New Medway Steamship Company, which is a subsidiary of the General Steam Navigation Company, for an exemption from the provisions of the Aliens Order in respect of an excursion service from Yarmouth to Ostend. This company has been granted facilities for carrying day excursionists of certain nationalities without passports; but it is impossible, consistently with a proper control of alien traffic, to grant the same facilities for week-end excursions as for day excursions. Although the Home Office is always anxious to encourage and grant reasonable facilities for excursion traffic, it is necessary for the proper enforcement of the Aliens Order to confine the grant of "no passport" facilities in respect of week-end traffic to those ports where the passenger traffic is sufficient to justify keeping a staff of immigration officers available for supervising the traffic. As Yarmouth is not such a port, I regret it is not possible to comply with the company's application in respect of week-end excursions from that port.

Mr. Gallacher

Is no consideration being given to the question of abolishing passports altogether?