HL Deb 04 July 1961 vol 232 cc1255-7
THE EARL OF ALBEMARLE

My Lords, I beg leave 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 a Committee is at present sitting to consider the problems of immigration and re-migration into the United Kingdom and, if so, when it will report.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (EARL BATHURST)

My Lords, no Departmental Committee is at present sitting on this subject.

THE EARL OF ALBEMARLE

My Lords, arising out of that, may I ask this question? Though the matter has been in the public eye for a long time, is it not rather too full of lack of information? May I ask whether Her Majesty's Government could consider taking powers to impose a temporary embargo on those who have not made arrangements for a job or a house to go to upon arrival or whose health report is unsatisfactory?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I assure the noble Earl that my right honourable friend has a wealth of information available, and if the noble Earl will let me know in writing what figures he would like, I will certainly do my best to give him such information as he requires. As regards the second part of his question, I think it is far wide of his original Question, but I assure him that all these problems are well appreciated by my right honourable friend.

LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETH

My Lords, without prejudice to the important issue of policy involved, and without wishing to press the noble Earl too much, may I ask whether he could say if the Government take the view that, whereas all Commonwealth countries are entitled to have, and do have, immigration laws, there is something in the Constitution whereby the Mother Country cannot have any laws or regulations about immigration from other parts of the Commonwealth?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I certainly note what the noble Lord has said, and I have seen and read such words before. However, I do not think it comes under this Question.

THE EARL OF ALBEMARLE

My Lords, perhaps I may be allowed this final question, although I do not know whether the noble Earl will think it is relevant. There was, as we all know, an arrangement with the Pakistani Government that they should vet, so to speak, all applications, and one of the conditions was that the prospective emigrants should have enough money for their return fares. Those arrangements as we have seen in the papers, seem to have broken down. Is that so? And have they broken down because, as we also saw in the papers (and did not the noble Earl see it?) certain people left Pakistan on a Government visa to go to the Moslem holy places and transhipped half-way between that country and this in order to get into this country under totally different pretences than they represented to their own Government? That point seems to me one worth investigating.

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I certainly take note of what the noble Earl says. I have no information in regard to his question, but I assure your Lordships that those points are before my right honourable friend at this time.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, the noble Earl said that no Committee was sitting at the moment, but do the Government propose to initiate any Committee or body in the near future to consider the problem of immigrants from Commonwealth countries?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, if such a proposal were intended, I am certain your Lordships would be told as soon as possible.

LORD SALTOUN

My Lords, could the noble Earl elucidate a little further? He said that the question about controlled immigration was very wide of the Question on the Order Paper. It seems to me that the problems of immigration and re-migration directly touch on the Question on the Order Paper and are so nearly tied to it that the question should be answered.

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I fully appreciate what the noble Lord has said, but I think he will agree that the particular suggestion of the noble Lord opposite is somewhat far from the Question on the Order Paper, and I am certain he will appreciate that it is not in my Department to answer such a question. However, I am sure that what the noble Lord has said will be noted.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, can the noble Earl say why an examination for tuberculosis and venereal disease should not be made on arrival in order that treatment could be commenced immediately?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I think that really is another question, but I will certainly check up and write to the noble Baroness if we find that the situation is unsatisfactory.