§ 7. Mr. E. H. Keelingasked the Minister of Labour what steps he has taken to prevent a recurrence of the incident in which a State board took into its service a person who, having been a secret agent of a foreign Power, had been deprived of British citizenship at the instance of the Government.
§ Sir W. MoncktonWhile it is for an employer to take such steps as he feels necessary to avoid employing an unsuitable person, it is the practice of my Department not to submit for vacancies, where security interests are involved, persons who are known to be unsuitable. I understand that the post in question was not one in which any security interests were involved.
§ Mr. KeelingI did not make the request which has been refused. Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that this man gave a false name? Should not an applicant who, like this man, was palpably not British, have at least been required to establish who he was?
§ Sir W. MoncktonI believe my Department placed about three million people in the last year. I do not know what proportion of them would have spoken English indifferently, but it would have been an immense addition to the task of my Department to have had to investigate each of those cases.
§ Mr. KeelingI referred only to State boards.