Written Answers To Questions
Friday, 27th June, 1952
Horses, Ireland (Imports)
asked the Minister of of Agriculture how many horses were imported from Ireland in 1951, and to the last convenient date in 1952; how many of these went to slaughter; and for what purposes were the others used.
I have been asked to reply. The trade returns distinguish between animals for food and animals not for food. Horses are only shown separately under the second of these headings and imports from the Irish Republic into the United Kingdom numbered 17,029 in 1951 and 4,752 in January to April, 1952. The figures include horses imported temporarily, for example, for racing or breeding.Imports of live four-legged animals for food, other than cows and calves, sheep and lambs, from the Irish Republic into the United Kingdom numbered 17,015 in 1951 and 6,074 in January to April. 1952. These totals would include any horses declared by importers as being for food and other live animals such as goats and pigs.
British Army
Bbc Forces Network, Germany
asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent the programmes provided by the British Forces Network in Germany are now being cut; and what saving to public funds will be effected thereby.
From 6th July the services provided by the British Forces Network in Germany are to be altered and will contain a higher proportion of programmes relayed from the B.B.C. Home and Light services and fewer locally produced programmes. There will be no reduction in the daily hours of broadcasting. The Sunday "Family Favourites" programme will continue and local news bulletins and certain other programmes of local interest will be maintained. The saving to public funds is not yet firm, but the reduction in staff at the headquarters in Hamburg and in local programme costs is likely to save some £15,000 in sterling and half a million deutschmarks.
Prisoners Of War, Korea (Mail)
asked the Secretary of State for War if he is satisfied that the new arrangements for special routing of letters to British prisoners of war of the Communists in North Korea have ensured not only that letters reach their destination, but have also speeded up delivery.
These new arrangements were introduced on 19th March this year and the first letters were handed over to the Chinese and North Korean representatives on the Armistice Commission on 30th March. While recent letters from our men in captivity report that they are getting more letters, they refer to letters written before the new arrangements. It is therefore not possible yet to judge the effect of the change.
Capital Issues Committee (Brick And Tile Companies)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the capital value of applications approved, under consideration, and rejected, by the Capital Issues Committee for increases in capital for brick plants, clay roofing tile plants and concrete roofing tile plants, respectively, in the period from 1st January, 1952, to the latest convenient date.
One company making bricks received Treasury consent to bank borrowing of £125,000 on conditions. Another company making glazed tiles received permission to capitalise reserves, but no new money was involved. These are the only applications to the Capital Issues Committee since the beginning of this year which can be identified as falling within the specified categories. It must, however, be remembered that where less than £50,000 is involved application to the Committee would not normally be called for.
Passport Applications
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will look into the present methods of the Passport Office and. in consultation with the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, endeavour to work out a system that, whilst preserving an adequate measure of control over persons holding British passports residing in foreign countries, does not necessitate a similar procedure when the individual has been resident in a British Dominion or Colony for over 25 years nor requires such detail as the name of the village or town where each parent was born over 50 years ago.
United Kingdom passports can only as a general rule be granted to persons who are citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies, and the sole object of the inquiries to which my hon. Friend refers is to ascertain that the applicant does in fact possess that citizenship. Residence outside the United Kingdom and Colonies for however long a period does not entail the loss of United Kingdom citizenship or affect in any way the applicant's claim to that citizenship, but if the applicant or his father was born in another Commonwealth country he may, according to the law of that country, be a citizen of that country.A citizen of any Commonwealth country is according to United Kingdom law, a British subject, but unless he can establish that he is also a United Kingdom citizen, the proper travel document for him is a passport of the Commonwealth country whose citizenship he possesses, and he is referred to the authorities of that country.Where a person possesses both United Kingdom citizenship and the citizenship of another Commonwealth country, there is no objection so far as this country is concerned to his holding a United Kingdom passport in addition to a passport of the other Commonwealth country.