§ 1. Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the extenuating family circumstances, he will reconsider on compassionate grounds his decision to deport Mr. George Kyriacou, the Cypriot husband of a British passport holder.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Lane)No, Sir. My right hon. Friend took full account of all the relevant circumstances before deciding to act on the recommendation for Mr. Kyriacou's deportation.
§ Mr. GorstWhile appreciating the repeated reconsideration which my hon. Friend has given to the case of my constituent, although regretting the final decision, may I ask him, first, how soon can Mrs. Kyriacou expect her husband to be reconsidered for re-entry once he is deported, and can a new application be considered once he has been deported? Secondly, what consideration has been given by the Government to giving the same rights of citizenship to British women marrying non-British husbands, as happens in reverse when British males marry non-British women, thereby automatically conferring British citizenship on them? Is not the lack of any proposals to deal with these matters a somewhat unfair discrimination against women?
§ Mr. LaneOn the first point, my right hon. Friend does not normally consider revoking deportation orders until at least three years have passed. It is open to 1676 Mr. Kyriacou himself to apply for revocation as soon as he wishes, but until and unless the order is revoked he cannot reapply for readmission. On my hon. Friend's other questions, I do not agree that this is discrimination against women. The reasons for the present rule, which began under the party opposite, are well understood. However, my hon. Friend's point may be considered in the review of our nationality law.