§ COLONEL WEDGWOODasked the Home Secretary what facilities were given to those aliens who applied for exemption from repatriation to prepare their reasons for non-repatriation; were they allowed to seek legal aid or to consult their families and friends in the preparation of their case; and had they an opportunity of seeing the reports of the police and the internment camp commanders and of making observations thereon?
§ Mr. SHORTTEvery interned alien enemy who desired exemption from repatriation was given a form on which to make application, and was free to make any representations he wished He was invited to give the names of persons who could speak for him, and he was at liberty 1165W to consult his family and friends and obtain legal aid in the preparation of his case. The answer to the last paragraph of the question is in the negative, but I understand that the Advisory Committee made it a point to weigh carefully and investigate all statements either for or against a man before making any recommendation.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Home Secretary if those aliens who did not apply for exemption from repatriation were made aware of the privilege allowing them to do so?
§ Mr. SHORTTI presume the hon. and gallant Member's question refers to those alien enemies who were in internment at the beginning of this year, and who were not among the 4,300 whose applications came before Lord Justice Younger's Committee. I can safely say that no such person was repatriated against his will without having had an opportunity of making application for exemption.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Home Secretary how many of the repatriated aliens were over forty years of age; and how many of these had resided here for twenty years or longer?
§ Mr. SHORTTI assume that the hon. and gallant Member refers to the alien enemies who have been repatriated from internment camps on the recommendation of Lord Justice Younger's Committee. These cases have not been classified by age so as to enable me to give the figures he asks for; but judging from the principles on which that Committee acted, as indicated in the Report which has been presented to Parliament, I gather that only a small proportion of those whose applications were refused were over forty years of age or had resided in this country for twenty years or longer.