§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that many rubber planters and others in Malaya who have deferred bringing out their wives at the request of his Department are being faced with financial burdens by the necessity of maintaining two homes; and whether special arrangements can now be made to take out to 101W Malaya all those wives who are awaiting passages.
Mr. Creech JonesThe arrangement whereby the wives of Europeans had to obtain special permission to join their husbands in Malaya was cancelled in April, 1946. Since when, wives who could get passages have been free to return to Malaya, and there has been no deferment at the request of my Department. In fact over 3,000 wives and children were provided with passages by the Colonial Office during 1946. As regards the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 21st January to the hon. Member for London University. Since that date a further 115 passages for wives and children have become available on a boat leaving early in February, making a total of 299 for the first six weeks of 1947.