§ LORD O'HAGANMy 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 they will reassure Irish people that they will not be treated as aliens.]
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords. I can assure the noble Lord that Her Majesty's Government have no proposals for introducing legislation to alter the existing arrangements.
§ LORD O'HAGANMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord the Leader of the House for that comforting reply, in which I should perhaps declare a vestigial interest, may I ask him whether he could extend the assurance which he has given so that people from Commonwealth countries, particularly those in difficulties in the countries where they live, will have the same freedom of movement as people who live in Ireland?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, I suspect that the noble Lord's relationship with Ireland, despite his name, is even more vestigial than mine. I think I should make clear that the situation is entirely different. An Irish citizen is not a British subject but is treated in the United Kingdom as if he were. He is not an alien under United Kingdom law. I do not propose to be drawn into discussing the Commonwealth Immigrants Act on a Question about Ireland.
§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, following that statement on Ireland by the noble Lord the Leader of the House, may I ask whether he would not agree with me that the Irish are very fortunate to be able to have their cake and eat it?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, speaking from my vestigial background, I should be prepared to say that that applies both ways.
§ LORD BYERSMy Lords, would it be true to say that in certain cases a Commonwealth immigrant has a British passport but is treated as though he had not?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, the noble Lord will not draw me on that. I would just point out that there is no need to use passports in the common travel area of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
§ LORD O'NEILL OF THE MAINEMy Lords, could I assure this House—
§ SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: NO!
§ LORD O'NEILL OF THE MAINEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that the Ireland Act 1949 enshrines certain rights for the Southern Irish and also gives a constitutional guarantee to the Northern Irish? It was a very statesmanlike Act introduced by Lord Attlee's Government, and we have no desire to have it amended as suggested by Mr. Enoch Powell the other day.
§ LORD SHACKLETONNoble Lords are getting the best they can out of this. I am very familiar with the Act: along with a number of other noble Lords I helped, when in another place, to pass it. We have no doubt noted what the noble Lord has just said.
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, would my noble friend agree that the Welsh also should have most-favoured-nation treatment?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, speaking again as an Anglo-Irishman, I am rather in favour of the English occasionally having most-favoured-nation treatment.