§ 19. Sir D. Rentonasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how many people emigrated under the Assisted Passage Scheme during 1964; and how many people will be enabled to emigrate under the scheme in 1965.
§ Mr. BottomleyApproximately 65,000 people emigrated from Britain to Australia under the United Kingdom-Australia Assisted Passage Scheme during the calendar year ending 31st December, 1964. It is not possible to say how many will be enabled to emigrate under this scheme during the 1965 calendar year, as the Australian programme is arranged to cover the Australian fiscal year. The Australian Government's target for assisted British migration for the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1965, is 70,000.
§ Sir D. RentonBearing in mind that the right hon. Gentleman is aware that only one-tenth of the money provided by Parliament has been spent by Governments for a good many years on the Assisted Passage Scheme, that the Commonwealth countries concerned would like more of our people to go there, that many of our people would like to go there, and also that the right hon. Gentleman's heart is in the right place in this matter, will he try to improve on the present performance?
§ Mr. BottomleyIt is interesting to note that the number of people going from this country has been rising year by year. The figures of those going from this country to Australia are as follows—1959, 32,736; 1960, 33,427; 1961, 33,220; 1962, 29,251; and 1963, 46,989.
§ Mr. SolomonsWas the increase in the number of emigrants from this country during the period my right hon. Friend has mentioned due to the fact that we had a Tory Government at the time?
§ Mr. WallCan the right hon. Gentleman say why only £161,000 was spent on this and similar schemes last year when Parliament voted a much greater sum? Will he devote his energies to trying to assist these passages with the funds which are available?
§ Mr. BottomleyYes, we can look at that. But we have no plans to increase the amount of funds available for this purpose; that we cannot do.