§ 8 and 9. Mr. Tilneyasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he will consider granting to 1057 the people of the Falkland Islands United Kingdom passports comparable to those issued to Channel Islanders and Manx-men;
§ (2) whether he will consider granting to the people of Gibraltar United Kingdom passports comparable to those issued to Channel Islanders and Manxmen.
§ Mr. WhitlockIf by a comparable passport is meant one which exempts the holder from control under the Commonwealth Immigrants Acts, the answer is, "No".
§ Mr. TilneyAs there is considerable tear felt by people in both the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar about their future, should not something be done by Her Majesty's Government to enable the citizens of both territories to feel that they qualify for passports similar to those which we have?
§ Mr. WhitlockAlthough the Commonwealth Immigrants Act exempts Channel Islanders and Manxmen from immigration control, it does not similarly exempt from control persons belonging to dependent territories, and it would be wrong for me to defeat the purpose of the Act by providing such persons with exempting passports.
§ Mr. MaudlingThat was, no doubt, a good legal answer, but these are people who have a claim on the interest of this House. Why is it not possible to do what is suggested here to help these people, who are very worried about their future?
§ Mr. WhitlockI think that the people of the Falkland Islands are in a totally different category from the people of the Channel Islands. They are 8,000 miles away and, while they are British, to admit them in the way the right hon. Gentleman suggests would defeat the purpose of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act.
§ Mr. HenigIs my right hon. Friend aware that, since certain people who depended on this House have just had their basic right to come to this country taken from them, many of us find it nauseating hypocrisy on the part of the other side now to suggest that we should give this right to certain other people?