§ 23. Mr. T. Williamsasked the Home Secretary what opportunity is provided for an applicant for naturalisation papers to appeal against an adverse decision; and whether any opportunity is afforded to the applicant to remove possible misunderstanding on which the decision was based?
§ Sir J. SimonThe Statute provides that the grant of a certificate of naturalisation shall be in the absolute discretion of the Secretary of State, and that he may, with or without assigning any reason, give or withhold the certificate as he thinks most conducive to the public good, and no appeal shall lie from his decision. From the fact that the reasons for a decision in a particular case cannot be stated, it must not be inferred that it is based on a misunderstanding.
§ Mr. WilliamsEven in the remote possibility of a decision having been based upon false evidence or on some misunderstanding, would it not be more in accordance with British justice if an opportunity were provided to dispel any such possible misunderstandings?
§ Sir J. SimonI think the hon. Member has in mind a particular case which he has been good enough to bring to the notice of my Department and which has. 413 been carefully considered. The suggestion that there was a misunderstanding as to identity was most thoroughly gone into, and it was decided that as there could be no room for any misunderstanding, an interview with the gentleman in question would not serve any useful purpose.
§ Mr. WilliamsAs the evidence upon which the Home Office rely was taken in the absence of the individual concerned, a British resident for 58 years, if there is even a remote possibility of a misunderstanding would it not be more consistent with what we regard as British justice that an opportunity should be given to remove it?
§ Sir J. SimonI should be the last person to want to keep up any misunderstanding on a matter of this sort, but I assure the hon. Member that it was only after the matter had been investigated very closely that the decision come to was reached.