Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Defence. – in the House of Commons at on 8 February 1940.
Sir Reginald Blair
, Hendon
asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to a case at Hendon Police Court on 29th January last, when a German woman was charged for failing to keep a register of four Germans resident with her, and fined the maximum penalty; and whether the necessary inquiries have been made as to the exemption from internment without restrictions of these five Germans residing in the one house?
Sir John Anderson
, Combined Scottish Universities
Yes, Sir. I understand that this woman, who keeps a boarding house, was fined for failing to comply with the requirement in the Aliens Order that hotel keepers and boarding-house keepers shall keep a register of aliens staying on the premises. The Germans in question were properly registered with the police, and their cases had been examined by one of the tribunals which I appointed for the purpose. As a result of that examination they were all recognised as genuine refugees. Four were exempted, both from internment and from the special restrictions applicable to enemy aliens, and the fifth was exempted from internment, but not from the special restrictions.
Sir Reginald Blair
, Hendon
Does my right hon. Friend think it is good to have a number of Germans residing in one house within a few miles of Whitehall?
Sir John Anderson
, Combined Scottish Universities
I see no reason why they should not, if they were stated by the tribunal to be innocuous.
Sir Reginald Blair
, Hendon
asked the Home Secretary the number of aliens who have been exempted from internment without restrictions; and the number interned in the Hendon area up to a recent convenient date, distinguishing those of German nationality?
Sir John Anderson
, Combined Scottish Universities
As a result of the examination of cases of Germans and Austrians by the tribunals up to 27th January last, there have been exempted from internment and from the special restrictions 25,100 men and 36,600 women. As regards the second part of the Question, I regret that detailed returns from the London tribunals, some of which have not yet completed their task, are not available; but I will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as I have the information for which he asks.
Mr Oliver Simmonds
, Birmingham Duddeston
Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that these tribunals are not showing undue leniency to these enemy aliens?
Whitehall is a wide road that runs through the heart of Westminster, starting at Trafalgar square and ending at Parliament. It is most often found in Hansard as a way of referring to the combined mass of central government departments, although many of them no longer have buildings on Whitehall itself.
