§ 74. Mr. Brookeasked the Minister of Labour how many permits were issued to women aliens in 1936, 1937, and 1938, respectively, to take up employment in private domestic service; and whether he has any information as to the total number of such permits in issue at any recent date?
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Ernest Brown)The numbers of permits issued by the Ministry of Labour in respect of female foreigners from abroad for employment as domestic servants in private households during 1936, 1937 and 1938, were 8,031, 12,897 and 13,757 respectively. I am unable to say how many of the foreign domestic servants for whom permits have been issued are still in employment in this country. I should add that since the annexation of Austria in March, 1938, the Home Office have authorised the issue of a number of visas to enable women refugees from Greater Germany to enter this country for employment in domestic service. The number of such visas authorised up to the end of 1938 was approximately 1,300.