§ 27. Mr. N. Pannellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the net influx of Commonwealth immigrants from 1st July, 1963, to the last available date; how many of these came from Asia, Africa and the West Indies, including British Guiana; and how this latter figure compares with that for the same period after the coming into force of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act.
§ Mr. BrookeFrom 1st July, 1963, to 29th February, 1964, the net inward movement of Commonwealth citizens subject to control under Part I of the Act was 43,861. For the same period, the net inward movement from those territories in Asia, Africa and the West Indies—including British Guiana for which separate figures are available amounted to 38,737. The figure corresponding to this for 1962–63 was 11,540.
§ Mr. PannellDo not these figures indicate that the situation is again getting out of hand? May I ask my right hon. Friend to cooperate with his right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour to ensure that the strictest limitation is placed on immigrants until the present numbers have been fully absorbed and integrated and the difficulties and problems of housing and education and other matters have been overcome?
§ Mr. BrookeI keep in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour over this. The rate of issue of vouchers is very carefully controlled. My hon. Friend will appreciate that something like half the numbers that I mentioned are dependants of persons who are already here, and I think that the whole House would agree that the dependants of people already here should be admitted freely.