REDUCTION OF FRONTIER FORMALITIES (Hansard, 26 June 1957)

LORD MERTHYR
My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE
My Lords, it is true that Her Majesty's Government have not been represented on the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on the Simplification of Frontier Formalities. The first two proposals remitted to this Committee for consideration related to the use of identity cards instead of passports as travel documents and the substitution of sample checks for a check on all travellers. Her Majesty's Government could not accept either of these proposals. So far as United Kingdom travellers are concerned, there is no alternative to the passport, now that identity cards are no longer issued in this country. The substitution of sample checks for a check on all travellers would seriously detract from the effectiveness of our immigration control. Her Majesty's Government cannot surrender their right to satisfy themselves of the identity and bona fides of any and every traveller to the United Kingdom. In some Continental countries there is little or no check at the frontiers because control is exercised subsequently by the police. Control of this kind is not the practice in the United Kingdom.
As regards the other proposals, the subject of a single international Customs document for motor vehicles is already under study by the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe. Her Majesty's Government have already made reciprocal agreements with a considerable number of countries, members and non-members of the Council of Europe, for the abolition of visas. Further agreements are a matter for bilateral negotiation.
364 As regards measures to simplify frontier formalities for refugees, Her Majesty's Government's recent action over Hungarian refugees speaks for itself. So far as the passage of refugees established in one country to another is concerned, there are provisions about facilities for this purpose in the Refugee Convention of 1951, to which Her Majesty's Government are a party. Finally Her Majesty's Government play an active part in the work done to ease international travel by the Committee on Tourism of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, the Customs Co-operation Council and the Economic Commission for Europe.
It is in these circumstances that Her Majesty's Government felt that their participation would not assist the work of the particular Committee to which the noble Lord's Question refers. But noble Lords will appreciate from what I have already said that it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to co-operate with other countries in seeking all practical means to make international travel easier, and we are continuing to work to that end.

LORD MERTHYR
My Lords, whilst expressing some dissatisfaction with the reply which has just been given, may I be allowed to thank the noble Marquess very much for answering my Question at such length? Perhaps I may also be allowed to take this opportunity of congratulating him on his first statement from the Front Bench.

§ EARL HOWE
My Lords, with reference to the question involved, may I inform the noble Marquess, or ask whether he knows—he certainly does not—that it took three hours and fifty minutes for a certain Member of your Lordships' House to get from Portugal into Spain owing to Customs formalities? Does he not think that that shows that this is an urgent question?

LORD REA
My Lords, before the noble Marquess replies, may I also congratulate him on the masterly way in which he has handled this complex question? Would he not agree that in the period of office of the present Government little has been done to encourage the interchange of people between various countries both in motor travel and holiday traffic? Although he has said 365 that there is no alternative to the passport, may I suggest that the alternative is no passport?

LORD GIFFORD
My Lords, may I take up one point in the noble Marquess's reply? He said that in this country there was no police control after a foreign national came into the country. Although matters have been simplified, is it not right that hoteliers still have to make some return of foreign nationals residing in their hotels? Perhaps the noble Marquess could look into that point.

§ LORD SILKIN
My Lords, before the noble Marquess replies, we should not wish to be behind in congratulating him on his appointment and on the comprehensive nature of his reply—indeed, so comprehensive that I feel that this has become something in the nature of a debate. I think that possibly the most satisfactory way of dealing with this question might be to have a discussion of the whole matter in the near future, and I should like to suggest that this might be a subject for consideration through the usual channels.

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE
My Lords, may I thank noble Lords for their kindness in the way they have received my effort to reply to this rather complicated question. As regards the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord Clifford, I regret that I am not in a position to reply to-day, but I will do my best to find the answer to his question. As regards the question about Portugal, I am afraid that there also I must plead ignorance, though, here again, if there is any information which the noble Earl requires I will do my best to obtain it for him. As regards the suggestion made by the noble Lord, Lord Silkin, I will refer it to my noble friend, and no doubt it will be dealt with with all the seriousness that it deserves.