§ 87. Mr. R. Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has now completed his review of deportation powers in Colonial Territories; and whether he is in a position to make a statement.
§ Mr. LytteltonYes. The power to deport persons from the territory to which they belong will not be used save in exceptional circumstances. My predecessor issued an Administrative Direction to the Governors of certain territories requiring them to seek the authority of the Secretary of State whenever they proposed to exercise that power.
I am issuing a similar direction to all the other territories concerned except the Federation of Malaya and Gibraltar, where, for obvious reasons, it would be unwise to restrict the power to order immediate removals.
My predecessor also asked colonial Governments which had not already done so to provide by legislation that judicial 120W process should normally be obligatory before a British subject or British protected person is deported from or rusticated within the territory. Most Governors have agreed and correspondence is proceeding in the outstanding cases.