HC Deb 25 March 1965 vol 709 cc713-4
4. Mr. Gurden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to deal with the problem of immigration which takes place by means of false passports.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir Frank Soskice)

All practicable steps are taken to deal with this problem.

Mr. Gurden

Can the right hon. Gentleman confirm that it is impossible to know the exact immigrant population in this country, so many evasions having taken place? Secondly, would he look at the idea of having fingerprint identification on passports?

Sir F. Soskice

It is difficult to form an accurate estimate as to the total number of the immigrant population of this country. With regard to the second part of the supplementary question, I do not see any necessity for that.

Mr. Orme

Would my right hon. Friend agree that it would be a most offensive thing to introduce and would have to apply not only to the coloured immigrants but to white Commonwealth immigrants as well? Will he take the strongest possible objection to this sort of Question, put down once again to raise the issue in this House, and the manner in which it has been done?

Sir F. Soskice

It is perfectly evident that any steps of that sort, whatever they are, must be taken with complete impartiality both in the case of white immigrants from the older Commonwealth countries and in the case of coloured immigrants from the newer Commonwealth countries. It is perfectly evident that there would have to be complete impartiality.

Mr. Longden

Irrespective of the merits of this matter, can the right hon. and learned Gentleman tell the House and the country whether the creation of a multi-racial society in these islands is an aim of deliberate policy of the Government, which would be one thing, or whether it is coming about by a process of involuntary drift, which would be quite another?

Sir F. Soskice

We are multi-racial now. There are between 800,000 and 1 million coloured immigrants in this country, and we must try to behave as civilized people and live happily together in a prosperous and well-ordered community.