HC Deb 30 July 1964 vol 699 cc424-5W
Mr. Farey-Jones

asked the Minister of Labour how many applications have been received and how many vouchers have been issued in each category since the inception of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962; how many vouchers have been used and how many returned unused; and how many applications are outstanding and from which countries these mainly originate.

Mr. Godber

Up to the end of June, 1964, a total of 416,864 applications had been received of which 26,281 were in category A, 20,753 in category B, and 369,830 in category C; 76,915 vouchers had been issued, 15,434 in category A, 19,275 in category B, and 42,206 in category C; 42,432 voucher holders had arrived in this country and just over 16,000 vouchers had been returned either because their validity had expired or because their holders no longer required them; over 300,000 applications for vouchers are outstanding, of which all but about 30,000 emanate from India and Pakistan. As I announced in the House on 5th June, 1964 (HANSARD, col. 216) no further Indian or Pakistan non-priority applications are being accepted for the time being.

NOTES:

  1. (i) Category A relates to persons who have a specific job to come to in this country.
  2. (ii) Category B comprises persons who have no specific job to come to but who possess certain special qualifications or skills. These are at present: doctors, dentists, and trained nurses; teachers who are eligible for the status of qualified teacher in this country; university graduates other than the above and holders of certain other professional qualifications who can show that they have been employed for at least two years in work which in this country would be appropriate to their degree or other qualifications; female shorthand typists and building trade craftsmen (HANSARD, 19th December, 1963, col. 264).
  3. (iii) Category C includes all other applicants.
  4. (iv) Priority is given to categories A and B and, within category C, to persons who have 425 served in the Armed Forces of the Crown in war or in the United Kingdom Forces since 1945.