§ 78. Dr. Littleasked the Home Secretary whether, in the case of serious illness or death in the families of persons from Northern Ireland residing and working in their respective callings in Great Britain, he will give instructions to passport officials, on presentation of a recall telegram, to have travel permits granted at once?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI am naturally anxious that genuine applications of this kind shall be dealt with sympathetically and swiftly, but unfortunately experience has made it necessary to require that such applications shall be authenticated by a medical certificate or by a telegram or certificate from the police authorities in Ireland. There is no delay in the grant of exit permits when the facts have been verified.
§ Dr. LittleSurely a few hours should be sufficient to verify any telegram by application at once to the police in Northern Ireland?
§ Mr. MorrisonThe hon. Member often presses me to be careful about security methods affecting Ireland, and sometimes he presses me, as now, to go the other way about. As an instance of the neces- 423 sity of verifying the authenticity of applications I can give a case in which the censor observed a letter in which the writer said, "When you receive this letter put father to bed"—a warning against the visit of the police to verify the facts.