§ Brigadier Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent there have been favourable developments since 7th November, 1955, in regard to the attitude of the Governments of east European countries towards the applications for exit permits of British-born wives of citizens of these states who wish to visit or return permanently to the United Kingdom.
§ Lord John HopeThe position as regards British-born wives in Poland, Hungary, Roumania and Bulgaria is satisfactory, there being at present only one case still outstanding in each country. I regret to state, however, that the attitude of the Czechoslovak Government towards applications for exit permits made by British-born wives cannot be considered either reasonable or satisfactory.
So far as Her Majesty's Ambassador in Prague is aware, eighteen British-born wives have been given permission to visit the United Kingdom this year. Nine other British-born wives have applied for permission to go home on a visit but they have not yet been told whether their applications have been granted.
139WFour British-born wives have had their applications refused either for themselves or one of their children. Her Majesty's Consul at Prague has on several occasions asked the Passport Office of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reconsider on humanitarian grounds their refusals of three of the four cases but has not received a reply.
One British-born wife asked for permission to visit the United Kingdom with her two children in July, 1955. Her application was refused. She reapplied in January, 1956: this application was also rejected. She applied again and permission was granted in April, provided that she took only one child with her. She applied for this decision to be reconsidered since her mother in the United Kingdom was very ill. She has not yet been able to travel. In the meantime her mother has died.
Her Majesty's Ambassador is continuing to take every possible step to press the Czechoslovak authorities to treat the applications for exit permits of these British-born wives with the consideration for human rights normally to be expected in civilised countries and I hope with his representations will now meet with a satisfactory response.