§ 12. Lieut.-Colonel Hydeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will authorise the use of National Registration identity cards instead of passports or travel identity cards by travellers to Northern Ireland during the current tourist season.
§ Mr. EdeI sympathise with the hon. and gallant Member's desire to facilitate travel to Northern Ireland during the tourist season. But standard national registration identity cards bear no photograph or statement of nationality, and for the purpose of controlling the movement of aliens are not an adequate substitute for travel documents.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HydeIs the Home Secretary aware that the present requirements are injuriously affecting the tourist 2432 industry in Northern Ireland, and does he not think that an ordinary registration card is sufficient.
§ Mr. EdeI regret that people are exposed to this inconvenience, but I do not think that the ordinary registration card would be sufficient for the reasons given in my answer.
§ Mr. McKibbinIs the Home Secretary aware that there is considerable resentment among Scotsmen residing in Northern Ireland at having to expend from 3s. 6d. to 5s. on the purchase of photographs for these passports? Is he aware that one such Scotsman informed me that in his case the cost was 25s., and that had he known that, he would have left his family behind and visited Scotland himself?
§ Mr. EdeIt may very well be that Scotsmen feel more resentment than Englishmen, but this is a very necessary precaution, although I regret it is necessary to continue it.
§ Mr. William TeelingWhy should pasports be needed for Northern Ireland when they are supposed to be used only for going abroad?
§ Mr. EdeUnfortunately, the border of the United Kingdom on one side of Northern Ireland is such that it is necessary to exercise precautions in regard to people who may have infiltrated over it.