HC Deb 31 October 1946 vol 428 c787
73. Mr. Derek Walker-Smith

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average period taken by his Department to conclude inquiries into the cases of ex-enemy aliens for whom requests have been made to the Ministry of Labour for permission to enter this country as domestic servants.

Mr. Ede

The Home Office does not keep progress records of these cases among the thousands of applications of various kinds relating to aliens which are handled every week.

Mr. Walker-Smith

As the time taken is disproportionately long, can the right hon. Gentleman hold out any hope of shortening the period?

Mr. Ede

It was because I thought that the time taken was rather long that I sent my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary to Austria and Germany to investigate the causes of the delay, and I am glad to say that since his return we have been able to expedite action in these cases.