HC Deb 25 April 1996 vol 276 cc578-9
10. Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to give reasons for refusing United Kingdom citizenship applications where the applicant has been lawfully resident in the United Kingdom for over 20 years, has no criminal record and has met all the duties and obligations which fall to be met by a person resident in the United Kingdom. [25046]

Mr. Kirkhope

No. Section 44(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 expressly relieves the Secretary of State from giving reasons in such cases where the decision is at his discretion

Mr. Prentice

Why will the Minister not give reasons for the refusal of British citizenship to the Fayed brothers, as recommended in February by Mr. Justice Igor Judge, who said that not to do so gave the impression of secrecy and was unattractive, and who called on the Minister to think again? Is not the refusal of UK citizenship to the Fayed brothers, who have been in this country more than 20 years, a calculated act of political spite because the Fayed brothers blew the whistle on Ministers who enjoyed lavish hospitality at the Paris Ritz, allegedly for planting parliamentary questions? Is that not the reason for blackballing the Fayed brothers?

Mr. Kirkhope

Under schedule 1 to the 1981 Act, certain requirements must be met for approval to be given to citizenship. Some are objective matters and some are subjective, subject to discretion. Mr. Justice Judge's pronouncement, to which the hon. Gentleman referred, made it clear that the British Government have always acted lawfully in respect of the matters that the hon. Gentleman mentioned. The judge found as a matter of law that there was no obligation either to give reasons or to invite representations, and that the Home Office in no way acted unlawfully

Mr. Ashby

Having received a pretty shabby letter from Mohammed Al Fayed, I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister agrees that he is not fit for British citizenship. People who are fit for British citizenship include children born in Germany of parents serving in the British forces. Why are such children subject to such an onerous burden of proof in obtaining a British passport?

Mr. Kirkhope

I thank my hon. Friend for that. I will be pleased to look into that matter and reply to him. I remind the House that we take British nationality extremely seriously. It is a very special status, not to be conferred in a flippant or easy manner—as suggested by the Labour party