§ 16. Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received requesting the payment from public funds of the return air fare from Pakistan to the United Kingdom of Aurang Zeb.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. David Waddington)Representations have been received from the hon. Member and from my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Colchester, North (Sir A. Buck). Representations have also been made by way of early-day motion 702.
§ Mr. MaddenWill the Minister confirm that the Ombudsman condemned the way in which Mr. Zeb was removed from this country within 17 hours of his arrival as a denial of natural justice, and that his principal officer apologised to me and to his sponsor because we had been denied an opportunity to make representations on his behalf? Will the Minister confirm that he apologised for the way that Mr. Zeb had been treated? Will he now add some modest generosity to that apology by paying a return air flight for Mr. Zeb from Pakistan to this country so that he can have a short holiday with his friends and relatives, which he was denied last year?
§ Mr. WaddingtonMr. Zeb was refused entry—in my view rightly—as not being a genuine visitor. As he was not a genuine visitor and has not appealed against that decision, I do not think the British public would be delighted if we brought him back here for a free holiday. The complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner was not about the refusal of entry, but about Mr. Zeb being removed without sufficient effort being made to contact his sponsor. The immigration service has apologised for that, and the Parliamentary Commisioner said in his report that he thought the apology was an appropriate outcome.
§ Mr. SpeakerBefore we start Prime Minister's questions today, may I again remind the House that supplementary questions to the Prime Minister must relate to her responsibilities.