TNAG-0903-FCO40-1113-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 36

371

Immigration

[Mr. Raison.]

Immigration

372

373

4 DECEMBER 1979

primary immigration. That is import-

the purpose of immigration is reasonable. After all, that is not what arranged mar- riages exist to provide.

Arranged marriages are not intended to create the opportunity for people to move to another country. There may be deep seated cultural reasons for them, but we are not tackling that problem. It seems to me that the requirement that two people should have met before they marry is eminently reasonable. Whatever we may think of arranged marriages, I doubt whether it is right to have an arranged marriage when the partners have never mct. In recent weeks I have met large numbers of Asian women. Many of them, when describing what they regard as a satisfactory arranged marriage, agreed that the bride and bridegroom should meet before marriage. We in the Home Office, and in our posts overseas, receive heartrending letters from girls who do not wish their fiances to be allowed in.

Mr. Cyril Smith: How many?

Mr. Speaker; Order. The hon. Mem- ber for Rochdale (Mr. Smith) knows that it is wrong to shout from a sedentary posi- tion when someone else is speaking. I call the Minister to continue.

Mr. Cyril Smith: How many letters did the Minister receive? Did he-

Mr. Speaker: Order. It is clear that the Minister is not giving way.

Mr. Raison: We shall consider care- fully the points made in the debate. This has been a debate about a White Paper, not about the final rules. While our posi- tion may unquestionably offend some people in terms of theory or theology in practice it is based on common sense realities.

ant.

Our package will not satisfy everyone in every respect. I recognise that. Hav- ing listened to the debate. I realise that some of my hon. Friends would have liked

a great deal more and others would have liked less. I claim that our proposals will effect a significant reduc- tion in the number of immigrants. They will help to contain the possibility of large scale future migration into this country.

I return to the issue of husbands and fiancés. We must recognise that in Bangla- desh, for example, there is no great demand by husbands and fiancés to be allowed to come here. The figures are small. That is because of the period in which the migration occurred and the young marriageable age group came on to the scene.

Our proposals tackle real abuses. That was made clear by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, who said that the proposals get to grips with the problem of overstaying, which will be one of our principal difficulties in the future.

I am certain that, above all, the pro- posals maintain our pledges to wives and families. I believe that we have got it right. To pull this package to pieces would be damaging to immigration policy and race relations. This issue has aroused deep feelings. Immigration always does that. We have a chance to move away from the prolonged wrangle and to move on to a period of positive race relations, about which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has spoken so often and so eloquently. I ask the House to support the White Paper and to reject the Oppo- sition amendment.

Question put, That the amendment be made:

The proposals will not result in great hardship. Exceptional cases of hardship can be dealt with under the discretion of the Home Secretary. Our proposals will help to seal off an avenue of 296.

Division No. 117]

Adams, Allen

Allaun, Frank

Alton, David

Anderson, Donald

Archer, Rt Hon Peler

Armstrong, Rt Hon Ernes!

Ashley, Rt Hon Jack

Ashton, Jos

Atkinson, Norman (H'gey, Tott'ham) Barnett, Quy (Greenwich)

16 K 34

AYES

The House divided: Ayes 251, Noes

Barnett, Rt Hon Joel (Heywood) Beith, A. J.

Benn, Rt Hon Anthony Wedgwood Bennett, Andrew (Stockport N) Bidwell, Sydney

Booth, RI Hon Albert Boothroyd, Miss Belty

Bottomley, Rt Hon Arthur (M'brough)

Bray, Dr Jeremy

Brown, Hugh D. (Provan)

[10 pm

Brown, Robert C. (Newcastle W) Brown, Ron (Edinburgh, Leith) Buchan, Norman Callaghan, Rt Hon J. (Cardiff SE}

Callaghan, Jim (Middleton & P) TO

Campbell, lan

Campbell-Savours, Dale

Canavan, Dennis

Cant, R. B.

Carler-Jones, Lewis

な

Cartwright, John

Immig

Clark, David (South Shiel Cocks, Rt Hon Michael (B Cohen, Stanley

Coleman, Donald

Concannon, Al Hon J. D. Cowans, Harry

Crowther, J. S. Cryer, Bob

Cunliffe, Lawrence Cunningham, George (Isli Dalyell, Tam Davidson, Arthur Davies, Rt Hon Denzli (LI: Davies, Ifor (Gower) Davis, Clinton (Hackney C Davis, Terry (B`rm'ham, S Deakins, Eric

Dean, Joseph (Leads Wes Dempsey, James Dewar, Donald Dixon, Donald Dobson, Frank Dormand, Jack Douglas, Dick Douglas-Mann, Bruce Dubs, Alfred Duffy, A. E. P.

Dunn, James A. (Liverpool Dunnett, Jack Dunwoody, Mrs. Gwyneth Eadie, Alex

Eastham, Ken Edwards, Robert (Waly SE) Ellis, Raymond (NE Derbys Ellis, Tom (Wrexham) English, Michael Ennals, RI Hon David Evans, loan (Aberdare) Ewing, Harry

Field, Frank Fitch, Alan Flannery, Martin

Fletcher, L. A. (likeston) Fletcher, Ted (Darlington) Foot, Rt Hon Michael Ford, Ben

Forrester, John Foulkes, George

Fraser, John (Lambeth, No Freeson, Rt Hon Reginald Freud, Clement Garrett, John (Norwich S) Garrett, W. E (Wallsend) George, Bruce

Gilbert, Rt Hon Dr John Ginsburg, David Golding, John Gourlay, Harry Graham, Ted

Grant, George (Morpeth) Grant, John (lelington 0) Grimond, Rt Hon J. Hamilton, James (Bothwell] Hamilton, W. W. (Central P Harrison, Rt Hon Walter Hart, Rt Hon Dame Judith Hattersley, Rt Hon Roy Haynes, Frank

Healey, Rt Hon Denis Heffer, Eric S.

Hogg, Norman (E Dunbarto Holland, Stuart (L'beth, Vau Home Robertson, John Homewood, Wilkam

Adley, Robert

Alexander, Richard

Allson, Michael

Amery, Rt Hon Julian

Ancram, Michael

Arnold, Tom

Aspinwall, Jack

Atkins, Rt Hon H. (Spélihori

16 K 35