§ Colonel Stoddart-Scottasked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he is aware that Indian civil government officials who are in this country for the first time for eight or nine years and have no home in Great Britain are being asked to return to India without their wives and families; what are the circumstances which require 1042W this family separation; and when will families be permitted to travel to India.
§ Mr. A. HendersonAs a result of the acute shortage of passage accommodation over a long period, large numbers of wives in this country who have for years been separated from their husbands in India are waiting to return to India. A committee has for some time past been established in India to examine applications for passages, and list them in order of priority on grounds of hardship. Passages are allocated in turn to those on the list. Officers granted leave out of India who propose to bring their families with them to this country are warned that their families cannot be provided with return passages so long as families long separated and recommended for passages to India on grounds of hardship are still waiting. These officers may and should apply to the committee in India to have their families included in the "hardship list" and when this has been done they are granted passages in their turn, as opportunity occurs. I can assure the hon. and gallant Member that this separation of families is much regretted; but while passage accommodation remains so scarce, the necessity so to arrange matters as to ensure fair treatment for all unfortunately results in disappointment for some.