§ 3.19 p.m.
§ Lord BARNBYMy 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 indicate what criteria are used to define "urgent compassionate grounds" with regard 773 to the issue to holders of Rhodesian passports of travel permits to this country.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, each application is considered on its individual merits.
§ Lord BARNBYMy Lords, arising from that not very exhaustive reply, may I ask the noble Lord the Minister whether in the very ample regulations which I received late last evening from the Minister of State on this subject—and in his letter the Minister refers to them he could define "urgent compassionate grounds"? Could he give any help on a case which has gone through his hands to the Minister of State, urging that on urgent compassionate grounds—and in the presence of the right reverend Prelate one might think on humanitarian grounds—the individual referred to in the application should come to this country for the briefest time for the marriage of his daughter to someone in this country, and one employed in this country? It would seem, when permission has been given for the wife to come here, that the application from the father should surely come under "urgent compassionate grounds". The refusal seems to smack of vicious implementation of bureaucracy which is not dissimilar from that in Russia, where the exit of people is not permitted.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, most of us would not so resent being accused of occasional lies, but all would resent being accused of being vicious in this particular kind of situation. The noble Lord said that it was late before he received copies, and I imagine he is referring to the rather lengthy statements on guidelines made by the then Attorney General on 17th June 1968, and the then Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs on 27th June of that year. He was even later in putting down this Question, which raises very complicated matters on which a Minister would not wish to pronounce on the day after it was tabled. If the noble Lord is still dissatisfied in regard to the case he has raised, he has only to come and see me, or indeed prolong the correspondence he has been engaged in, and we shall see 774 what is possible to be done. I hold out no hopes of a reversal of the decision, but I think it would be inutilitas for me to engage in detailed discussion of criteria or of an individual case at Question Time.
§ Lord BARNBYMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord, whom one always regards as the most considerate and compassionate of individuals, certainly in interpreting any phrase. But would he not categorise the desire to attend this marriage of a daughter as entitled to be considered on compassionate or humanitarian grounds?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, the noble Lord puts it in a loaded way. These matters are considered individually, and I would say with a very great degree of compassionate consideration.
§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONEMy Lords, I realise, of course, that this Question may have reference to an individual case, and in any event that its ambit is limited to a trickle of individual applications; but I wonder whether the noble Lord is in a position to answer this. If the situation in Rhodesia is anything like as serious as we are led to believe, will there not be a very large number of applications to come to this country from that country, and is it not absolutely essential that there should be widespread contingency planning as to the way in which they should be dealt with? If the noble Lord would prefer not to answer that question without notice, I will, of course, fully understand, and so will the House, but I would be obliged if he can give me some sort of indication.
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I can certainly give the assurance that any contingency planning found to be necessary will be engaged in.