Hon. E. D. Fulton (Minister of Justice):

Mr. Speaker, in this question the hon. member for Port Arthur asks whether the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have any files, inoperative or otherwise, on members of the present House of Commons, and if so how many, by provinces.

It will be appreciated by the house that all Royal Canadian Mounted Police files on individuals are confidential and that many are secret.

Mr. Sinclair:

That does not bother the Prime Minister.

Mr. Fulton:

It will also be appreciated that one of the primary duties of all those responsible for such files is to respect and preserve the confidential or secret nature of their contents. It will also be appreciated that a large number of such files are started by reports, statements or knowledge of activities coming to the attention of responsible members of the police which they are bound to investigate in the course of their duties. The follow-up on such reports in many cases reveals no necessity for further action, yet there is still a file. This means that many files will be in existence under the names of individuals against whom there is nothing of a substantial, let alone a criminal, nature.

I am quite certain that all hon. members, including the hon. member who asked this

question will agree that it would be grossly unfair to any such individual to have it revealed or even suspected that there exists a police file under his name, yet there may be many ways in which such a suspicion could be raised. It is my opinion, which is shared by my advisers in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, that one of the surest ways of laying the foundation for the raising of suspicion would be to isolate a group of individuals, such as members of parliament, start answering questions as to whether there are any files on any of them and then refuse -as I would have to refuse-to go any further when questioned as to the existence or non-existence of a file on a specific member or members of such group. But this is exactly the door which is opened-quite unintentionally, I am sure-by this question.

Not only would this lead to the possibility of prejudice to an innocent individual, but if there were in fact with respect to any one or more members of such group a file or files which contained information serious enough to warrant further investigation the success of the investigation, and possibly the security of the state, might be seriously prejudiced by giving any information whatsoever.

It therefore follows that both in order to protect innocent individuals on whom there may be files and to preserve the interests of the state I have to advise the hon. gentleman that I consider it contrary to the public interest to give a specific answer to this question.

What is the estimated value for each of the years 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957, of products manufactured in the United Kingdom, which because they are assembled or finished in the United States or distributed by an agency in the United States are included in Canadian imports from the United States?

Hon. Gordon Churchill (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

Mr. Speaker, no records such as are asked for by the hon. member are kept, and the information is not easily obtainable as it involves tracing the country of origin of components in manufactured articles coming from the United States.

1. Did the departments of national defence and citizenship and immigration agree upon a final settlement of the compensations and benefits to be paid to the band of the Cold Lake Indian reserve No. 149, in connection with the establishment of a bomber range for the Royal Canadian Air Force, north of Cold Lake, Alberta?

2. If so, what was the amount agreed upon?

3. How much of that amount has already been paid to the band, and on what dates?

4. Is further compensation still due? If so, when will the final payment be made?

Hon. E. D. Fulton (Acting Minister of Citizenship and Immigration):

Mr. Speaker, the answer to part 1 of this question is no, an official settlement has not been agreed upon. The answer to part 2 is therefore that it is not applicable. The answer to part 3 is also that this question is not applicable. With regard to part 4 the answer is that negotiations with regard to settlement are continuing.

1. Has a recent survey been made in the town of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, to determine the feasibility of commencing street delivery of mail?

2. If so, how many points of call were shown by the survey?

3. Were previous surveys made in the town of Summerside?

4. If so, when were such surveys made and how many points of call were shown by each survey?

5. How many points of call are necessary before street deliveries may be started?

6. Did the present survey include more territory than the previous surveys?

7. If so, what additional territory was included?

8. What requirements beyond the requisite number of points of call must be complied with before street delivery can be commenced?

9. Will the rent of post office boxes be increased should street delivery be commenced?

Hon. W. M. Hamilton (Postmaster General):

Mr. Speaker, in answer to part 1 of this question which deals with a survey to determine the feasibility of commencing street delivery of mail in the town of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, I would advise that there is a survey being made but the report covering it has not yet been received at departmental headquarters. Since that is the case it is also impossible to give an answer to parts 2, 6 or 7 of the question. In answer to part 3, previous surveys have been made in the town of Summerside.

Part 4 of the question asks for details. A survey was made in September, 1948, at which time no actual figure was available as to the number of calls. In 1951 there were 1,531 points of call. In September, 1956, when the last survey preceding this one was made, there were 1,850 points of call. The question asks how many points of call are necessary before street deliveries may be started. The answer is that 2,500 points of call are normally the minimum for that requirement.

Section 8 asks for the requirements beyond the requisite number of points of call which must be complied with before street delivery can be commenced. Those include (1) satisfactory walking conditions in all types of weather; (2) systematic numbering of all

Motion for Papers

premises; (3) street name signs at intersections; (4) proper pathways from the street into each house; (5) installation of an approved type of letter slot or box at each house; and (6) that there should be no duplication of street names within the proposed delivery area.

The last part of the question asks whether the rental of post office boxes is increased should street delivery be commenced. The answer to that question is yes, in accordance with a pattern which has been established over many years in the past.

Mr. Pickersgill:

I wonder whether I might ask the minister whether, if I put part 6 in the present tense, it could not be answered.

Mr. Hamilton (Notre Dame de Grace):

Certainly not immediately. In explanation may I say this. The normal procedure here is to refer a survey of this kind to the district officers, who determine the details of how the survey will be taken and the area which it will cover. When they have completed the survey they report back to us. We have not yet received that report. There is therefore no information in the department to tell the exact area covered.

1. Have any persons been authorized by order In council to immigrate to Canada since June 21, 1957? If so, how many?

2. What is the name of the person in Canada who applied for each such prospective immigrant?