HC Deb 01 February 1949 vol 460 cc1511-2
53. Mrs. Leah Manning

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is prepared to allow a small amount of dollar currency to the parents of U.S.A. and Canadian brides wishing to visit their daughters in those countries.

Sir S. Cripps

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for West Leicester (Mr. Janner) on Tuesday, 7th December, 1948.

Mrs. Manning

As that was not a satisfactory answer, will my right hon. and learned Friend consider the fact that these young women—more than 100,000 of them—are of child-bearing age and are therefore not available for industry and have removed from the Government the necessity of finding housing, clothing and all other benefits for them? Could he not be a little more generous in the matter?

Sir S. Cripps

Fortunately, we do not have to provide dollars for housing and this is a question of providing dollars.

Mrs. Manning

Could all these things be provided without spending any dollars?

Sir S. Cripps

I did not say that we did not spend any dollars. I said that we did not spend dollars on them.

Mr. Paget

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that whilst these people can get tickets to their destination in America, they can get nothing at all to pay for food and hotel accommodation while they are crossing America? Cannot some provision be made to enable them to get an inclusive ticket which covers hotel accommodation, food, etc., on the journey?

Sir S. Cripps

I am afraid that it all comes down to the same question of providing dollars. As I explained earlier, we are not in a position to provide dollars except in cases of hardship.

Mr. Chetwynd

Has my right hon. and learned Friend had any requests from the husbands of these women that their mothers-in-law should visit them?