§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the appeals procedure for visitors to the United Kingdom, who have deportation orders issued against them for taking actions prejudicial to national security; and how this compares with the situation in other EEC countries.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 18th November 1976 about the procedure in the United Kingdom.—[Vol. 919, c. 1567–8.] I cannot usefully, in the compass of a reply to a parliamentary Question, seek to draw comparisons with other countries.
§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has done any research into the feasibility of repatriating foreigners convicted of offences in the United Kingdom now serving prison sentences in the United Kingdom; and, if so, what were the conclusions of such research.
§ Mr. JohnConsideration has been given on a number of occasions to the question whether foreign prisoners should 537W be released early by the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy and then deported or repatriated. The conclusion reached has been that there would be serious objections to the general adoption of such a procedure and that it can be justified only in exceptional circumstances.