Ussr Citizens
29.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the main occupations of the 131 citizens of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics who are registered with the police in this country.
With a few exceptions the citizens of the U.S.S.R. registered with the police in this country are members of the Soviet Trade Delegation or of Soviet agencies.
Deportation Orders
33.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each year between 1946 and 1950 up to the most convenient date, how many aliens including those who have ben naturalised since the war have been reported to his Department as being undesirable; in how many cases after investigation by the police have they been allowed to remain in this country; and how many deportation orders have been made.
Figures showing the number of aliens against whom complaints were made and what number of these complaints were investigated by the police are not available. During the years 1946 to 1950 the courts recommended deportation in 1,036 cases and in 617 of these deportation orders were made. In addition, 1,469 deportation orders were made in cases where there was no recommendation for deportation from a court. I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number of deportation orders made in each year. There is no power to deport a naturalised citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.
Is the Home Secretary aware of the growing concern at the number of investigations made by officials and police, and is he satisfied with the methods used by his Department in dealing with these cases?
I suppose that everything human is capable of improvement, but, so far as I know, the utmost care is being used in these cases, and I am satisfied that substantial justice is done.
Following is the table:
1946 | … | … | … | … | 290 |
1947 | … | … | … | … | 221 |
1948 | … | … | … | … | 511 |
1949 | … | … | … | … | 537 |
1950 | … | … | … | … | 527 |
… | … | … | … | 2,086 |
Borstal Institutions (Name)
30.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if consideration will be given to changing the name of Borstal institutions to "corrective training centres" or some other more suitable name.
This point has often been considered, but no alternative name that would be generally acceptable has yet been suggested.
Electoral Register (Mental Deficiency)
31.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people certified under the Mental Deficiency Act are on the registers of voters.
The information asked for is not available.
Resisting the temptation to ask a frivolous supplementary question, may I ask whether, as certification under the Mental Deficiency Act is not a bar to a vote, the Home Secretary does not think that something ought to be done to debar people like that?
As I have informed the House on previous occasions, this is one of the matters that is marked for consideration when fresh legislation is considered.
When the Home Secretary does get this information will he add as a footnote: "A number of Members of His Majesty's Government are included"?
Crime Detection (Telepathy)
34.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent telepathy is used for the purpose of detecting crimes.
I am informed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that from time to time persons professing to possess telepathic powers have offered to help the police in the detection of crime, and that the information given by such persons has been examined in the same way as that of any other person giving information to the police.
Will my right hon. Friend give us some information about the visit of a Dutchman to Scotland Yard, who volunteered to help the police in discovering the Stone of Destiny? Will he tell us if the Dutchman was met by the police, if the jemmy which was used to break open the door of Westminster Abbey was inspected by the Dutchman, and what are the results to date?
The gentleman in question, whose activities in connection with the Stone were given publicity, not by the police, was one of a number of selected persons who were given facilities to visit Westminster Abbey and examine clues. He was not invited to this country by the police, his expenses have not been met from public funds, and no results have accrued.
Does the Question mean that the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes) accepts the taking away of the Stone of Destiny as a crime?
Would my right hon. Friend tell us to what extent telepathy is used by Ministers in foreseeing and anticipating supplementary questions?
Most of the supplementaries are fairly obvious when one studies the Questions.
is not the Home Secretary's answer to my first supplementary question a final proof of the failure of private enterprise?
Communist Organisations
35.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in the public interest he will publish a list of the names of organisations known by his Department to be ancillaries of the Communist Party, or used by the Communist Party as channels for revolutionary activity.
No, Sir. I do not think that this would be in the public interest.
Does not the Home Secretary consider that it is in the interests of the public to know the names of these bodies which are attempting to entrap and deceive them into thinking that they are non-Communist bodies?
Yes, Sir. But if persons looked at the list and did not find the name of a body on it, they would assume that it was all right when it might be all wrong.
Festival Of Britain (Taxi-Cabs)
38.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give authority for the number of taxi-cabs to be increased in the London area during the Festival of Britain.
I am advised that there is no statutory limit to the number of taxicabs which may be licensed by the Commissioner to ply for hire in the Metropolitan Police district.
School Crossing Patrols
40.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the suggestions made by the hon. Member for Peterborough for improving the school crossing patrols have yet been considered; and if so with what results.
As the hon. Member is aware, his suggestions concern the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Transport and the Home Office and they have been carefully examined by all three Departments and the Commissioner of Police. The Commissioner of Police is responsible for the employment of school crossing patrols in the Metropolitan Police area and I have authorised him to increase the number from 500 to 1,050.
As regards the dress and equipment of these patrols, those in London wear a white coat and a black cap and I understand that somewhat similar dress is worn by some patrols outside London, where the local education authority is responsible for them. This dress is considered suitable for the purpose. In addition an authorised sign must be carried. The question of dispensing with the sign has been considered, but it is thought desirable to retain this, as it constitutes the legal authority for stopping traffic on the road. The Minister of Transport proposes, however, to authorise the experimental use of a smaller sign.While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for the thought given to this suggestion, may I ask him to consider still further standardising the uniform throughout the country, so that we can be sure that all will wear the same sort of uniform?
Emigration (Children)
41.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been emigrated without their parents since the war.
I regret that the information is not available, since the existing statistics do not distinguish children travelling without their parents from those travelling with them.
Does not the Minister feel that his Department should have information on this rather important matter?
I am reluctant to collect statistics merely for the sake of collecting them.
42.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give a complete list of the societies engaged in the emigration of children without their parents.
I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names of those voluntary societies in England known to my Department to be engaged directly in the emigration of children without their parents. Some of these societies act also as agents for other societies.
Following is the list:The Australian Catholic Immigration Committee, Dr. Barnardo's Homes, The Big Brother Movement, The Church of England Advisory Council of Empire Settlement, The Fairbridge Society, The National Children's Home and Orphanage, The New Zealand Sheepowners' Acknowledgement of Debt to British Seamen Fund, The Northcote Children's Emigration Fund for Australia, The Overseas League, The Rhodesia Fairbridge Memorial College, The Salvation Army, The Young Christian Workers' Movement and the Young Men's Christian Association.
African Territories (Minister's Statement)
45.
asked the Prime Minister whether the statement by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, on 23rd January, concerning the desirability of closer association between the three Central African territories represents Government policy.
The reports which I have of the statement made by the Secretary of State at his Press conference at Salisbury on 22nd January indicate that he said that the United Kingdom Government would be happy if the forthcoming conference of officials produced unanimous recommendations; there could, however, be no question of the United Kingdom Government forcing a decision on reluctant people. As was stated in the House on 8th November, the work of the conference will be purely exploratory and will not commit any of the participating Governments to the adoption of any of the proposals formulated by it.
Is the Prime Minister aware that at least one influential organ of opinion circulating in those parts has taken the statement made in Salisbury as a whittling away of the statement of the Secretary of State for Colonies on 8th November, particularly in relation to public discussion and consultation with African opinion? Can he assure the House that there is no such whittling away or any such intention by the Government?
There is no change in Government policy in this matter. I cannot be responsible for Press comments.