§ Mrs. Tateasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that an application for a permit to live in this country was made for Miss Elfriede Kant, an Austrian of Jewish birth but Christian religion, on 1013W 26th August last, and has not yet been dealt with; and whether he will take steps to expedite the granting of this permit?
§ Mr. LloydA communication with regard to the case of Miss Elfriede Kant has already been sent to the hon. Member with regard to the grant of a visa for the United Kingdom; and instructions about the case have been sent to the Passport Control Officer in Vienna.
§ Mr. Grenfellasked the Home Secretary what are the precise requirements demanded by his Department in the case of a refugee entering this country; what is required from private individuals desiring to help refugees from Germany and Austria to come into this country; what is required in the case of such a refugee who intends to emigrate to another country; what facilities for training are available for those intending to emigrate; how many refugees have been admitted for permanent residence into this country since 1933 from Germany and Austria; and how many for eventual emigration to another country or to one of the Dominions?
§ Sir S. HoareIf the refugee is a child or young person coming here for education, facilities are freely granted in any case where arrangements can be made to provide a home and maintenance. As regards older people, the guiding consideration is what arrangements can be made to enable them either to settle here or to go later to another country. As regards refugees who remain here, it is necessary that proper arrangements shall be made for their maintenance, and if they are to take employment that this shall not involve displacement of our own people.
As regards those who are intending to go to another country, information is required as to what arrangements can be made to effect this object, and what arrangements can be made for their maintenance while here. Training schemes for those intending to emigrate have been organised by various voluntary bodies and these schemes are being extended.
It is very desirable that private individuals who wish to help refugees should do so through the appropriate refugee organisation, and a list of those organisations was printed in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 2nd December.
1014WThere are in this country about 11,000 persons who can be classified as refugees and have been admitted from Germany and Austria since 1933. In addition, about 5,000 refugees have gone overseas after a stay of longer or shorter duration in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Grenfellasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the number of children under 16 years of age who have been allowed to enter this country from Germany and Austria since 1933; whether the number has increased in the last 12 months; what facilities for education are allowed or provided for these children; and whether any help has been given in any way by his Department to provide maintenance or educational assistance for such children?
§ Mr. LloydChildren and young people are freely admitted to this country for educational purposes if arrangements have been made for their maintenance and education while here, but no grants for this purpose are made from public funds. Some of the German and Austrian children were admitted with their parents; others are being maintained here by parents living abroad; for others arrangements are being made by the voluntary societies or by private persons who are willing to receive children in their homes. There are no separate statistics showing how many Germans and Austrians were under the age of 16 at the time of their admission to this country.
§ Mr. Grenfellasked the Home Secretary what are the requirements in the case of religious or social bodies who are helping refugees to enter this country; whether they are allowed any special facilities in relation to this urgent work; and whether he is doing all that can reasonably be done to help these voluntary bodies in coping with the heavy burden of labour and expense involved in this work?
§ Sir S. HoareI fully recognise the value of the work which is being done by the voluntary organisations which are raising funds and devoting time and labour to helping refugees and I am anxious to give the fullest facilities to the voluntary organisations engaged in the work. For this purpose my Department is working in the closest collaboration with the Co-ordinating Committee for Refugees and with the several religious and social bodies represented on that committee.
1015W
§ Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he will make a statement respecting the declaration of the Australian Government that they are willing to accept 15,000 Jewish refugees from Germany; whether this means 15,000 families or individuals; and whether he has any information respecting similar possibilities in New Zealand and Canada?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe announcement recently made by the Australian Minister for the Interior has been reported fully in the Press, and was to the effect that the Commonwealth Government had decided that Australia should assist to the extent of receiving up to 15,000 refugees over a term of three years, subject to their being able to comply with the immigration regulations. I understand that the figure given refers to individual refugees.
The answer to the latter part of the question is in the negative, but statements made by Dominion statesmen indicate that they are fully alive to the importance and urgency of the question.