HL Deb 03 June 1959 vol 216 cc551-2

2.36 p.m.

LORD GRANTCHESTER

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

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will change the practice at London Airport and other ports of entry into this country where British passengers are separated from foreign visitors for passport examination.]

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, the answer is No. It has been found in practice that any attempt to deal with a large number of British and foreign passengers in only one channel slows up their clearance and leads to more complaints than if they are dealt with in separate channels.

LORD GRANCHESTER

I thank the noble Lord for his Answer. Is he aware that this practice gives offence to visitors, who mistake the purpose of the arrangement and regard it as treating them as inferior to British subjects? Moreover, I understand that the practice is not followed anywhere else in the world.

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, the noble Lord should understand that this is entirely an arrangement of convenience and about which there is no magic whatsoever. The Home Office holds no particular brief either way: it is merely a question of doing the thing in the most efficient way possible. The point raised by the noble Lord has been thought of, and there are polite notices—which, if the noble Lord wishes, I will read out to him—prominently displayed on that very subject.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether this is not exactly the same arrangement as is made in every single port in the country, whether airport or seaport?

LORD CHESHAM

So far as I know, it is. I should perhaps add that at moments when traffic is particularly light, or in certain emergencies, it is not a practice which is invariably followed.

LORD MACPHERSON OF DRUMOCHTER

The noble Lord gives as the reason for the continuance of this, as I think, stupid practice the fact that there will be congestion if all the passengers go through one channel. Why not have two channels, or three channels, in order to treat our visitors politely?

LORD CHESHAM

I think that is a reasonable point; but, however many channels we have, it must inevitably take longer to pass through a foreign entrant to this country than a British one, and there will inevitably be complaints of delays due to that cause.

LORD SALTOUN

My Lords, is the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, right in his suggestion that we are the only country which follows that practice? I have a memory of something very similar being done to me when I went to America.