§ Sir P. Dawsonasked the Home Secretary how many Germans, Austrians, Poles, and Czechs have been granted permission to enter this country during the last 12 months and what time limit is there to their staying here; how many of the above nationals have been granted naturalisation papers during the last 12 months; how many Germans and Austrians have been given permission during the last 12 months to practise in Great Britain as doctors, dentists, and oculists; is he aware that, besides German and Austrian nationals, many Russians are engaged in trade in this country and have taken up small shops and restaurants, and are buying up property and developing it; and whether he proposes to take any steps to limit this alien competition?
§ Sir S. HoareAs regards the admission to this country of persons holding German and Austrian passports, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on the 28th April to the hon. and learned Member for Greenock (Mr. R. Gibson). For the 12-month period ended 31st December last the number of persons holding Polish and Czechoslovak passports who were given leave to land was 9,003 and 8,186 respectively. These for the most part comprised business and holiday visitors who were admitted for short periods of varying duration and the number who left the country during the same period was 8,609 and 7,953 respectively. As regards doctors, dentists and oculists from Germany and Austria, no separate figures are available for the year 1937, and I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 27th June to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Parker). Since 1933 the number of refugee doctors (including oculists) and dentists coming from Germany who have been given permission to practise their profession after admission to the British medical and dental registers is 185 and 93 respectively.
Figures of naturalisation cases have no relation to figures of recent admissions, since to become eligible for naturalisation a refugee must have at least five years' residence here. For the 12-month period ending 31st December the number of certificates of naturalisation granted to 607W persons of the nationalities specified (other than British-born women) was as follows:—
As regards Russians, I would refer to the reply given on the 27th June to the hon. Member for Romford. The majority of persons registered as Russians in this country are pre-war residents who did not become Soviet citizens on the creation of the Soviet Republic and form part of the resident alien population of this country which under the provisions of the Aliens Order is subject to no restrictions in the matter of employment or occupation,
Germans … … 136 Austrians … … 32 Poles … … 54 Czechoslovaks … … 27