§ 2.41 p.m.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, with regard to emigration, they are yet able to announce:
- (a) plans to encourage intending emigrants through augmented financial facilities with regard to housing in the receiving Dominions;
- (b) other selected methods of encouragement to emigration by employment of funds made annually available under Statute.]
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE)My Lords, the review of emigration policy, to which I referred in my replies to my noble friend's questions on June 6 and July 24, is not yet quite completed. I must therefore ask my noble friend to await its outcome. I can assure him, however, that we are pressing on with the review and hope soon to be in a position to make a statement.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, arising out of that reply, if I have correctly understood it, the Department has no plans yet which would utilise to a larger extent the funds available for expenditure under this head.
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREMy Lords, as I am sure your Lordships will appreciate, I cannot anticipate the results of the review.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, may I ask the noble Duke whether it is not a fact that over the last few years there have been twice as many emigrants from this country to other Commonwealth countries as there have been immigrants from other Commonwealth countries to this country?
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREI think that that is raising a matter quite outside the terms of this Question.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, may I also ask the noble Duke whether, in the event of funds being made available for the assistance of building and housing migrants at receiving centres, that would be presently possible, or would it involve supplementary legislation?
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREMy Lords, under the existing legislation it is not possible. I can only repeat that we must await a Government statement on this matter, and it would be entirely wrong if I were to say anything this afternoon which would anticipate any later Government statement.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHMy Lords, if the Government's intention in their Immigration Bill is actually to restrict immigration which has been essential to provide the minimum number of workers in this country, would the noble Duke say 1123 whether it is intended to go on promoting migration of British citizens from this country, and thus upset the whole idea of immigration control?
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREI am sorry to disappoint the noble Viscount, but I really cannot anticipate some future Government statement on this subject.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHThen we must draw our own conclusions.
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREMy Lords, if I might have one final word, I would ask: would it not be wiser to draw those conclusions when the Government statement has been made?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, is the noble Duke aware that the Government's consideration must be affected by the fact that, for example, Australia has just announced a reduction in the facilities available to immigrants? Is that going to be taken into account? Indeed, how much longer must we wait for a Government statement?
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIREI am aware that questions have been asked before, and I only hope that Her Majesty's Government will be in a position to make a statement very shortly.