§ 20. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why applications for passport renewals or endorsements from British subjects and British protected persons from British Colonial Territories, now temporarily resident in this country, are referred to the Governors of the Territories concerned, so causing unnecessary delays and annoyance to the persons concerned and whether he will take steps to discontinue this practice and simplify the procedure for such passport endorsements.
§ 26. Mr. Marshasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will discontinue the practice of referring to Governors of Colonial Territories in Africa applications for endorsements of passports held by Africans temporarily resident in this country.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Julian Amery)The power to issue passports under Royal prerogative to persons belonging to Colonial Territories is legally and constitutionally vested in the Governments of those Territories. It follows therefore that the renewal or endorsement of passports is also a matter for their discretion, with which by longstanding practice my predecessors have not interfered. I do not propose to depart from that practice.
In fact, many applications for renewals or endorsements of Colonial passports are, by arrangement with Colonial Governments, dealt with by the United Kingdom authorities without reference back; but it is plainly open to Colonial Governments to require that some or all applications, or classes of applications, should be referred to them for decision.
§ Mr. StonehouseIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this bureaucratic system leads, very often, to quite unnecessary delays and that the second part of his reply indicates that there is political discrimination? As an illustration of that discrimination, will the hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend to look again at the case of Mr. Manda, a very responsible person from Nyasaland, who was prevented from going on a visit to Tunis by an unnecesary delay in his application being endorsed?
§ Mr. AmeryI believe that Mr. Manda's case was cleared by telegrams. I do not think that the delay was excessive. I do not think that this is a case of bureaucratic interference. The more self-government a Colonial Government have the more it must be left to their discretion what they do in the issue of passports.
§ Mr. MarshIs it not monstrous that a British citizen in this country should be denied freedom of travel, which is the right of any other person in this country? Is the Minister aware of the case of Mr. W. D. Colley, which I raised with him in December? Mr. Colley applied for a passport to go to Gambia in June, but did not receive a reply until 31st July, when he was told that he could have a temporary passport provided he gave the reasons and proof of where he was going and why—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."] Also, does not the Minister think that the liberties of people under the control of this House are important enough to discuss in full?
§ Mr. AmeryIn reply to the hon. Member's first point, I am sure that he will appreciate that, as self-government increases, certain powers must necessarily be more and more delegated to the Governments of the Territories concerned. I will gladly look further into the case of Mr. Colley, which he has sent to me, but Mr. Colley was offered certain facilities of which he did not choose to avail himself.
§ Mr. StonehouseHow does the hon. Member's point about self-government apply to Nyasaland?
§ Mr. AmeryI think that that is a very different question. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] It is not such a difficult question, but a different question.