§ 4.12 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT BLEDISLOE had the following question on the Paper: To ask His Majesty's Government whether communication has passed between them and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand regarding the admission of migrants to those Dominions from Great Britain; if so, whether such migration is to be confined in either case to children only; and whether in the early future there is a prospect of admission to either country of adults of good character and trained vocational capacity (if the cost of their transport be provided by them or their friends), without prejudice to the claims of its own nationals now on war service.
480§ The noble Viscount said: My Lords, I beg to ask the question standing in my name. We seem to be faced with an almost unprecedented happening in this House. I do not wish to put your Lordships to serious inconvenience and for my part, although regretting that I have no oral Ministerial reply, I shall be satisfied in the circumstances with a written reply to be circulated with the proceedings.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA AND BURMA (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL)My Lords, I should like to tell the noble Viscount how very deeply we regret the fact that we are not in a position to give him an oral reply to his question at the moment. We very much appreciate his willingness to meet us by accepting a written answer.
(The answer was as follows:
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT CRANBORNE) (Lord Cecil)As the noble Lord will no doubt remember I made a full statement on the question of migration in this House on the 24th May in which I made it clear that the question of migration was under consideration with the Dominion Governments. There is no question in these discussions of such migration being confined to children. As regards the question of unassisted migration, I said on that occasion that there was abundant evidence that Australia and New Zealand would like to take British migrants so far as it was in any way possible. The immediate difficulty is, of course, that of shipping, but I would suggest that any person who is thinking of migrating to the Dominions at his own expense should get into touch with the authorities in London of the Dominion concerned with a view to ascertaining the prospects of his being admitted to the Dominion when shipping and other conditions permit.]