HL Deb 26 November 2001 vol 629 cc4-5

2.44 p.m.

Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they consider "opposing the government of a friendly country" to be inconsistent with the good character requirement for the award of British citizenship.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government do not consider peaceful opposition to the government of any country to he inconsistent with the good character requirement. We take a wholly different view where that opposition entails violence or support for the use of violence.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, the noble Lord made a serious accusation against the person who is the subject of this Question; he has no grounds whatever for doing so. That person has been resident in the United Kingdom for 30 years, has always obeyed our laws and continues to do so. Is the Minister aware that in the past, citizenship has been granted to people who oppose their governments and who come from a wide background? That background includes: Mr Jan Kavan, the present Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic; the late Donald Woods, from South Africa; Mr Carlos Reyes, who was prominent in the campaign to bring Pinochet to trial; and Mr Prins Gunasekara, a distinguished lawyer from Sri Lanka. What is the difference between those cases and that involving the person who is the subject of this Question?

Lord Rooker

My Lords, I do not propose to discuss any individual case on the Floor of the House; it would he wholly improper to do so. The noble Lord chose to link his Question with a letter that was received recently. The noble Lord's Question makes a highly selective quote from the letter; it misses out the word "activities" in the phrase, activities in opposing the government of a friendly country". The activities are the relevant issue and the selective quotation does no justice to the noble Lord's case.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, I take grave exception to the accusation that the noble Lord made across the Floor of the House. I ask him to reply to the request that I made on 2nd November, which was to meet me and discuss this matter in more detail than we can do on the Floor of the House.

Lord Rooker

My Lords, I am happy to meet any noble Lord or, more particularly, any Member of the other place regarding their constituents—I sometimes have to cancel or postpone appointments. If there is still a case to be met, fine; but I did not raise it and do not want to discuss the details on the Floor of the House.