asked the Minister of Labour on whose application he issued permits for the immigration of 40 aliens to serve as waiters at the British Empire Exhibition; whether the application was supported by the authorities of the exhibition and/or by any other Government Department; and whether, in stipulating that for every alien who received a permit there should be seven waiters engaged in this country, he secured that all or any of the seven should be British and not merely transferred aliens?

The permits in question were issued on the application of the catering contractors. The application was supported by the authorities of the exhibition and the Department of Overseas Trade. The condition referred to did not require that the waiters engaged from persons already in this country should be British subjects, but from a list of the persons so engaged furnished by the contractors, it would appear that a substantial proportion are British subjects.

Can the hon Member say for what reason these permits were granted?

That question can best be dealt with in the Debate on the Estimates of the Ministry of Labour, which takes place on Wednesday. I cannot deal with it adequately in reply to a question.

Does the hon. Gentleman not think that the grant of these permits is totally opposed to public opinion in this country?

If the hon. and gallant Member wishes to discuss the policy which governs the issue of these permits, my right hon. Friend will, of course, be prepared to discuss it; but it is not a question with which I can do full justice in answer to a question now.