§ Mr. GILBERTasked the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs what procedure exists for German subjects to obtain passports in order to visit Great Britain; whether such passports are issued by the German Government; whether they have to obtain the consent or visa of the British Embassy or a British Consul; and whether, in the event of a German subject being a person who is not admissible to this country, he will state who decides this, if it is done on the application for a passport or a visa, or whether it is left to the police in this country to object to such a person on landing here?
Mr. HARMSWORTHA German wishing to visit the United Kingdom must have a passport issued to him by the German authorities, and this passport must be visa by a British Consul authorised to grant visas or by a Passport Control Officer. The issue of the passport itself is a matter which concerns the German Government, and has nothing to do with the British authorities. The admisison of Germans, as of other former enemy aliens, to the United Kingdom is governed by Section 10 of the Aliens' Restriction Amendment Act, 1919, under 2129W which instructions have been issued to Passport Control Officers and Consuls giving them discretion within certain closely defined limits to grant visas to certain categories of Germans, without reference to the Secretary of State. It is the duty of the Immigration authorities at British ports to decide whether an alien shall be allowed to land or not.