§ 12. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many sheikhs or native rulers in the Aden Protectorate have withdrawn to the Yemen during the past three years; how many have returned and how many Yemeni sheikhs or other Yemenis have been allowed to settle in the Protectorate; to what extent the road from the Yemen into the Aden Protectorate is now open to the transport of goods and passengers both ways; and what control of immigrants from the Protectorate into Aden Colony exists or is practicable.
§ Mr. J. AmeryThe rulers of three minor States went to the Yemen. All three later returned to their States.
In addition, some 30 minor tribal section leaders went there and 18 have returned.
Fourteen leading Yemeni Sheikhs fled to the Aden side of the frontier.
I have no figure for the total number of other Yemenis settled in the Protectorate.
The Aden-Taiz road has never been closed.
As regards control of immigration from the Protectorate into the Colony of Aden, this was covered in the reply given by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, in his reply to the hon. Member on 27th November, 1958, and I have nothing to add to this.
§ Mr. SorensenDoes the hon. Member's Answer mean that far more will come from the Yemen to Aden to settle than vice versa? Can he say whether any kind of penalty was imposed on the sheikhs and native rulers who went to the Yemen and then returned? Did they maintain their former status?
§ Mr. AmeryWith regard to the first part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, the answer is "Yes". The traffic has been much more from the Yemen into Aden than the other way round. As for the second part of the supplementary question, I will look into the matter and write to the hon. Member