Mr. T. J. BENTLEY (Swift Current):

Mr. Speaker, last night as recorded in Hansard at page 3249 I am reported as having said, "You are correct in that supposition, Mr. Speaker". This was in reply to an interjection from Your Honour which I misunderstood. I thought you had said that my remarks at that point were for the purpose of proving that we should not have an increase in freight rates. It was this supposition with which I agreed. The word "not" does not appear in the report of what you said; hence my question of privilege to make it perfectly clear.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to inform the house that the hon. member for Rosthern, Mr. Walter Tucker, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, has tendered his resignation as a parliamentary assistant, and that his resignation has been accepted by the government. In making this announcement I should like to say how much my colleagues and I have appreciated the splendid services rendered the government, the house, and particularly the war veterans, by the hon. member for Rosthern during the time he held the position of parliamentary assistant, and with what sincere regret his resignation has been accepted.

I would also inform the house that the hon. member for New Westminster (Mr. Reid) has been appointed parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Fisheries, an appointment which I am sure will be received with general approval by hon. members.

Mr. GRAYDON:

May I ask the Prime Minister whether there were any special or immediate circumstances which dictated the change in connection with the office of the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Veterans Affairs?

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Nothing except what seemed appropriate in the circumstances.

Hon. J. A. MacKINNON (Acting Minister of Mines and Resources):

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be able to inform the house that the government has effected an arrangement with Trans-Canada Air Lines for the charter of planes to bring immigrants from the United Kingdom to Canada.

This arrangement will provide facilities for the transportation of 10,000 immigrants from the United Kingdom before the end of the present fiscal year. Initial destination on this side will be Montreal and Toronto.

In order to provide for this increased movement by air, existing Canadian immigration staffs in the United Kingdom will be further expanded. Arrangements will be made at the immigration offices to assist prospective immigrants to obtain necessary documentation and travel facilities, and specially trained officers will be available to provide full information about conditions in Canada and to assist the prospective immigrant in preparing for settlement in this country. Priority of passage will be given to persons with assured employment awaiting them in Canada.

Officers of the Labour Department will be stationed in the immigration offices to advise intending immigrants as to prospects for employment, and, when practicable, to arrange definite placement in Canadian jobs prior to the immigrant's departure from the United Kingdom.

The offices of the immigration branch in London are being transferred to more spacious

Immigration

quarters, and a new office is to be opened in Glasgow within the next ten days. A third office will be opened in Liverpool before the 1st of July, and it is hoped that an office can be established in Belfast shortly thereafter.

It has been agreed by Trans-Canada Air Lines that experienced staffs and facilities of that organization will be made available for making the necessary arrangements to schedule the dispatch of immigrants when the necessary medical and civil examinations are completed, thus permitting of every possible facility to aid the immigrant desirous of taking advantage of this mode of travel.

It is considered that the new arrangement with T.C.A., together with considerably increased steamship facilities now available as a result of government action, will go a long way towards overcoming the serious shortage of immigrant transportation from the British isles which previously existed.

In addition to the arrangements which I have just announced in connection with the transportation of immigrants by air from the United Kingdom, I am glad to be able to inform the house that the government has decided to increase from 20,000 to 30,000 the number of displaced persons, not otherwise admissible, who will be allowed to enter this country for permanent residence. As has been previously indicated, the displaced persons who are admitted to Canada under the present program will be counted against any quota that this country may eventually accept as a result of an international agreement designed to solve the displaced persons problem.

It is perhaps worth reminding the house that Canada was not only the first nonEuropean country to take independent action to admit displaced persons who are not otherwise admissible, but that this country has admitted more displaced persons, on the grounds that they were displaced persons, than all other non-European countries combined.

The United States Congress is now giving consideration to the possibility of admitting a considerable number of these people. Up to the present none have been admitted to the Lffiited States as displaced persons, although some thousands have been given entry under their national quotas.

The total number of displaced person arrivals in Canada as at the 15th of April was 15,410. This is a record of which I believe we have a right to be proud.

As has been the case from the beginning, the displaced persons who will be admitted to Canada will be very carefully screened by the Canadian teams which have been established in Europe for this purpose.

Mr. GRAYDON:

I should like to ask the acting minister a question arising out of his statement with respect to the immigration plan. How far does the United Kingdom plan go toward carrying out without interruption the highly successful airborne immigration scheme which was originated by Premier George Drew?

Mr. KNOWLES:

There would not be an election on, would there?

Mr. GRAYDON:

Not so far as you are concerned in Ontario.

Mr. MacKINNON:

A number of prospective settlers in Canada from the British isles had bought and paid for passage under the scheme referred to by the hon. member for Peel. It is not possible to bring them to Canada under that scheme now, but our arrangement will bring them to Canada.

Mr. GRAYDON:

Has there been any consultation between this government and the Ontario government so that the number of immigrants coming into Ontario will not be substantially decreased?