§ Viscount CURZONasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the fact that a large number of ex-enemy aliens are known to be anxious to settle in this country as soon as the provisions of Section 10 (1) of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act, 1919, expire on the 23rd of this month, and that such an incursion of aliens will greatly aggravate the unemployment problem, the Government will introduce this Session a one-Clause Bill to extend the operation of this Sub-section for a further period?
Mr. BRIOGEMANAs I stated in the answer which I gave on the 27th ultimo to a question by the hon. and learned Member for the Ealing Division (Sir H. Nield), fresh legislation in this matter is not required.
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Mr. DOYLEasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that under the Naturalisation Act of 1918 he has power to revoke naturalisation certificates on various grounds, including conviction for serious criminal offences, without regard to the date when such certificate was granted; that the naturalisation certificate granted in 1888 to Arthur Hermann Ebertein and a certificate granted to Wolf Millner in 1893 were revoked by the Home Secretary's order in November, 1918, in each case the Home Secretary was satisfied that the continuance of the certificate was not conducive to the public good; and whether, since one of these certificates had been granted 30 years before the revocation while the certificate to John Berkeley was only granted 28 years ago, he will again consider the revocation of Berkeley's certificate on the ground that its continuance is not conducive to the public good?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe hon. Member is, I think, under a misapprenhension as to the powers in this matter. The power to revoke a certificate of naturalisation on the ground of convictions involving severe penalties is limited by Section 7 (2,b) of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1914, as amended in 1918 to cases where the conviction takes place within five years of the date of the grant of the certificate. There is no power to revoke a certificate on the sole ground that its continuance is not conducive to the public good; there must be some other ground coupled with that, and in the case of the two certificates referred to in the second paragraph of the question the ground was residence out of His Majesty's Dominions for more than seven years within the meaning of Section 7 (2, d) of the Act. As regards Berkeley's case, the position remains as Stated in my answer to the hon. Member's previous question.
§ Sir B. SHEFFIELDasked the Home Secretary how many aliens have been admitted into the United Kingdom during the last year: how many have found employment; and whether care is taken that no British workman or woman is displaced by the employment of such aliens?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANDuring the twelve months ending 30th September, 1922, 317,486 alien passengers landed in the United Kingdom, and 314,851 embarked.2634W Aliens are not allowed to land in the United Kingdom for the purpose of taking employment unless they hold permits issued by the Minister of Labour under Article 1 (3, b) of the, Aliens Order, 1920. Of the total number landed 912 males and 1,335 females held such permits. I understand that before permits are issued, the Minister of Labour satisfies himself that there will be no displacement of British labour.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Home Secretary whether he is now prepared to dispense with the war-time legislation of detail registration for travellers in British hotels?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIf the hon. Member is referring to the requirements in force under the Aliens Restriction Acts, which are designed to obtain information as to the nationality of all persons staying at hotels and certain further particulars in regard to those who are aliens, I do not think this can properly be described as war-time legislation. The requirements are contained in the Aliens Order, 1920. They serve a useful purpose, in my opinion, in peace time and I lo not propose to dispense with them.