§ Q9. Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Prime Minister whether he will send a Minister to Kenya and Uganda to enter into consultations about the future quota for Asian immigrants from those countries.
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to and to what my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said in the debate last Friday.—[Vol. 803, c. 212.]
§ Mr. LyonIs it not time that the Government did a great deal more about this problem, or were all those words about compassion during the election campaign simply words? Is it not about time that, in this field in particular, there were deeds to match the words?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. We all recognise the complexities of this problem and the very difficult human questions involved. I do not in any way rule out personal discussions between Ministers and members of the Governments of 492 the countries mentioned, but it may be that first any exchanges should take place through the normal channels.
§ Mr. RichardCan the Prime Minister help us a little about what his right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in fact said last Friday? I understand that the Home Secretary told us that Commonwealth immigrants were to be treated as aliens for the purpose of entry into this country. Would not it be an extraordinary position if these United Kingdom citizens—not merely Commonwealth citizens, but United Kingdom citizens—found themselves treated in exactly the same category as any aliens?
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend also made it clear that he would go into this question with the Governments concerned, in particular about the United Kingdom citizens.
§ Sir D. Walker-SmithWill my right hon. Friend also see that representations are made to the East African Governments, urging them to take a more liberal and less discriminatory point of view in regard to these Asian citizens, who have a very real and significant contribution to make to the economy of those countries?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary specifically mentioned that.
§ Mr. John FraserSince the new Government are to make the law the same for Commonwealth citizens and aliens, will it be possible for Commonwealth citizens to make applications for work permits, which are given much more generously to aliens than to Commonwealth citizens? How soon can they apply for work permits where plenty of jobs are available?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is a separate question from that with which I was dealing, which is about Asian immigrants.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonIs not the lack of compassion shown by the Governments concerned making us take very much less seriously their strictures upon the situation in Rhodesia, where the Asian community lives happily and shows no desire to come to the United Kingdom?
§ The Prime MinisterThat, too, is a separate question.