§ Sir R. Glynasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has anything to report on the inquiries being made in 244W regard to finding suitable places for those Maltese who wish to emigrate; and whether any steps have been taken in this connection in Libya, Eritrea and Tripoli.
Mr. Creech JonesNegotiations are in progress, regarding the resumption of emigration to Australia, and the possibility of facilitating emigration to the United States, South America and other destinations is being explored. The chief current difficulty is that of providing adequate passenger accommodation. As regards the former Italian colonies, I cannot add to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the hon. Member for Brighton (Mr. Teeling) on 1st July, 1946, which pointed out that opportunities for immigration can only be determined as part of the final settlement of the future of these territories; but that the claims of the Maltese to share in any immigration facilities will certainly not be overlooked.