HC Deb 29 July 1957 vol 574 cc110-1W
Mr. Teeling

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what instructions have been given to Her Majesty's Consuls with regard to the issue of entry permits to Malta; and what are the new arrangements made between the Maltese Imperial Government and the Malta Government on this matter.

Mr. Ian Harvey

Consuls are instructed that applications for entry permits should be sent by intending visitors direct to the Secretary of the Malta Imperial Government at Valetta. In cases of urgency, United Kingdom Consular Officers may be asked to issue entry permits. In this event, the permit should be issued as a separate document and should not be endorsed on the passport. Consuls have the necessary instructions as to the form the permit should take and what information should be given on the permit.

Her Majesty's Consuls are however instructed that visitors arriving from the United Kingdom or from any Commonwealth Member Country, for a stay not exceeding three months, do not require entry permits, provided they are ordinarily resident in any of those countries.

With regard to the second part of the question, I understand from my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that the Malta Imperial Government are looking into the question of further relaxations regarding entry into Malta.