§ Mr. Lathanasked the Prime Minister whether he will inform the House of all the proposals made to the Inter-Governmental Committee on Refugees, either by His Majesty's Government, other members of the committee, or the director for the settlement of refugees from Germany?
§ Mr. ButlerIn accordance with the recommendations of the Evian Meeting, the Governments represented on the Inter-Governmental Committee communicate their proposals regarding the settlement of refugees to the Committee for its strictly confidential information. It is therefore not possible for me to inform the House of the proposals made to the Committee, but the attitude of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom has been made clear in the statements made by my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister on 21st November.
§ Mr. Lathanasked the Prime Minister whether the proposals made by the South African Minister for Defence for an international loan for refugee settlement have been submitted to the Inter-Governmental Committee, or are under consideration by His Majesty's Government; and whether the British representative on the Inter-Governmental Committee will be instructed to give serious consideration to these proposals?
§ Mr. ButlerThe proposals to which the hon. Member refers have not been submitted to the Inter-Governmental Committee. As regards the attitude of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to the question of an international refugee loan, I have nothing to add to the answers given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for the3130W English Universities (Mr. E. Harvey) on the 24th November, and to the hon. and learned Member for Greenock (Mr. R. Gibson) yesterday.
§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Prime Minister whether he will ascertain if the Intergovernmental Committee has any information showing how many refugees from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia have found refuge in the Soviet Union; whether the Soviets have made any offers to accept such refugees; and whether any responsible organisation has expressed to the committee a desire that refugees should be admitted into Russia?
§ Mr. ButlerI understand that the Intergovernmental Committee has no information to show how many refugees from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia have entered the Soviet Union. The answer to the second and third parts of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. Gallacherasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the number of refugees admitted from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to this country since 1st January last; the proportion of these that were women; how many were in each of the following age-groups: under 16, between 16 and 30, between 30 and 50, and over 50; and what proportion of them had private incomes, enabling them to live in this country without seeking employment?
§ Sir S. HoareAt a later date I propose to publish certain statistical information about the number and classes of persons admitted, but I am not in a position at present to give the information asked for.
§ Lieut.-Commander Tufnellasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the hardships confronting refugees waiting for British visas, he can give an assurance that the staff of the aliens department is now sufficient to enable work in that connection to be continued without any undue delay during the Christmas season?
§ Sir S. HoareI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to a reply given to-day to a question by the hon. Member for Henley (Sir G. Fox). I am satisfied that the arrangements made in the Aliens Division are such that the work will be continued without any undue delay during the Christmas season.