§ 12. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the status will be of children born in Great Britain of West Indian, Indian or Pakistani parents if and when the Immigration Bill becomes law.
§ Mr. MaudlingWhatever the parents' nationality, unless the father has full diplomatic immunity a child born in the United Kingdom is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies. Unless he renounces that citizenship he will remain free of immigration control.
§ Mrs. ShortIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that that is a very satisfactory reply and that it goes all the way to repudiate the nonsense put out by the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell) in his Carshalton speech in which he said that children born here are citizens of the countries from which their parents came and that the doors are open for them to return? I am very grateful to the Secretary of State.
§ Mr. MaudlingSo far as I know, it has always been our law that anyone born here is a citizen of this country.