asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Consul at Buenos Aires has reported any recent cases of single British women who have been engaged in this country for positions in the Argentine, and who have been dismissed immediately on their arrival without compensation or their return fares paid back to Great Britain, and consequently been left stranded; and can he say whether full investigations as to employment are made by the Passport Office before passports are endorsed available for single women to visit South American countries?

My attention has recently been called to four cases of single British women who obtained domestic situations with families in the Argentine, but subsequently found the conditions unsatisfactory. In accordance with the usual practice, inquiries were made as to the status of the employers and the terms of the engagement before passports were issued. I am considering whether any additional safeguards can be adopted.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider providing these women with the safeguard of some sort of contract?

I am quite prepared to consider that question.

May I ask whether in cases of this sort there is a fund available to assist the return of these women to this country?

I am afraid I must have notice of that question.