§ 4.28 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT SIMON rose to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish as soon as possible a White Paper containing information as to the requests made by and the assurances given to each of the countries mentioned in subsection (2) of Clause 1 of the British Nationality Bill; what degree of urgency attaches to such legislation by this country; and how far it may be expected that a similar provision will be enacted by each of the other countries concerned. The noble Viscount said: My Lords, my noble friend Lord Altrincham is not in the House, and perhaps I may be allowed on his behalf to put this question. I was in consultation with him in "brewing up" this question, and therefore I think I know the circumstances in which he wished it to be put and answered.
§
The British Nationality Bill, to which the House has already given a Second Reading, is beyond all question a very important measure. The first clause of that Bill has been referred to as the key clause and is, as we are informed, a clause which it is desirable to see as the basis of some new common understanding between ourselves and the other great nations which are themselves completely self-governing but which are within the British Commonwealth. Somebody has to begin, and I understand that it has been decided by His Majesty's Government that this Parliament should take the first step. It is undoubtedly much to be hoped that after this country has taken that first step it may be followed by corresponding action by the independent Parliaments of the great self-governing areas, which are loosely called Dominions. The question is:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish.… a[...] White Paper containing information as to the requests made by and the assurances given to each of the
9
countries mentioned in subsection (2) of Clause 1 of the British Nationality Bill"—
that is, Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan, and other areas which are loosely called the Dominions, and so forth—
what degree of urgency attaches to such legislation by this country; and how far it may be expected that a similar provision will be enacted by each of the other countries concerned.
§ I venture to add one other observation. When I spoke on the Second Reading I suggested that the Bill, dealing as it does with the extremely important circumstance of what is British nationality, had come before us rather more suddenly than did proposals for changing the basis of the British Constitution, such as were made in the Imperial Conference of 1930 and the Imperial Conference of 1937. The noble Viscount the Leader of the House—speaking, of course, with an authority with which none of us could compare on this subject, because of his position as Minister for Commonwealth Relations—replied that there had already been a consultation which must be regarded as with the heads of the Governments concerned. Naturally I accept that at once, though it is still the case that the Bill has come on your Lordships' House and on those who have been deeply interested in this subject, some of us for many years, rather more suddenly than one might have expected. It was introduced, in fact, on February 17. It is, moreover, an exceedingly complicated measure. Therefore I think the noble Lord, Lord Altrincham, was justified in putting down the question; and I have not the least doubt that it will be given by the noble Viscount opposite the full and clear answer that it justifies.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT ADDISON)I entirely agree with the description of the Bill by the noble and learned Viscount, and I welcome his observations. As he is well aware, consideration of the Bill had been adjourned for some considerable time after its original introduction in order that we might have further consultations with certain members of the Commonwealth, particularly with Pakistan and India. As a result of this consultation we can, happily, proceed as we describe.
As explained in the White Paper already published, there has been full consultation with the other Commonwealth countries, who are expecting that 10 the United Kingdom will legislate on the lines of this Bill, and who have all agreed with the principles as stated in the White Paper. Some of these countries are already preparing similar legislation and are awaiting the passage of the United Kingdom Bill, and others will find it easier to come into the scheme if and when this Bill is passed. A White Paper containing such information as is suggested in the noble Lord's question could not be prepared without further consultation with each of the self-governing countries; and delay for this purpose would have the most regrettable result of causing the abandonment for this Session of this important measure. It is therefore most desirable that this Bill should be passed into law as soon as possible and certainly within the present Session.
§ VISCOUNT SIMONI thank the noble Viscount for his answer.