asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the maximum time, under his executive order, that an alien can be held in one of Her Majesty's prisons.

Aliens who have been refused leave to land, illegal entrants, seaman deserters, and aliens whom a court has recommended for deportation, or against whom a Deportation Order has been made, may be detained by my authority under powers conferred by the Aliens Order, 1920 (as amended). There is no statutory time limit on such detention, but each case is kept under regular review and no alien is detained longer than is necessary to ensure that proper consideration is given to the case, and, if it is decided that the alien should be removed from the United Kingdom, to enable the necessary arrangements to be made.