§ 105. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how many fiancées of Canadian and other Dominion Service or ex-Service men have been assisted to go overseas; whether any record exists of the number of women with affiliation or maintenance orders against Canadian and other Dominion Service or ex-Service men; and what further efforts have been made to secure agreement with the Canadian Government to enable these orders to be operative in Canada.
§ Mr. Gordon-WalkerThe Australian Government have provided passages for 689 young women from the United Kingdom who are going out to marry Service and ex-Service men in Australia. The New Zealand Government have provided passages for 635, the South African Government for 263. I have no information about the number who have gone to Canada; they have, in any case, received no financial help from the Canadian Government.
I regret that it would not be possible without great labour to find out how many women in this country have been granted affiliation or maintenance orders against British Commonwealth Service or ex-Service men. The records are kept in individual courts all over the country and there is no central record. With regard to the enforcement in other Commonwealth countries of maintenance and affiliation orders made in the United Kingdom, there is nothing which I can add to the reply given to my hon. Friend by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 2nd February.