§ 52. Mr. Burdenasked the Minister of Labour if he will introduce the legislation necessary to ensure that all immigrants ordinarily resident in this country, and who are not nationals of or resident in any other country, shall be made subject to the provisions of the National Service Act
§ Mr. WatkinsonNo, Sir. I think we should create more difficulties than it is worth while if we attempted in peace-time to call-up compulsorily men who are not British subjects.
§ Mr. BurdenIs my hon. Friend aware that a Bill has recently been passed through the House in order to close the gaps through which British citizens have been evading call-up? Does he not think it scandalous that young men who come to live here, who have no other country, who enjoy the full benefits of all our services, including education, and who certainly will become British citizens when they are no longer liable to call-up, are not doing their duty in the same way as British citizens do theirs?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI can see the difficulties of the special type of case which my hon. Friend has raised and I will undertake to look at it again, but I cannot promise him that we can find a way of dealing with it.