HC Deb 18 February 1977 vol 926 cc383-5W
Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women were allowed to settle in the United Kingdom for marriage in each of the last 10 years from (a) the new Commonwealth and Pakistan, (b) each of the countries of the Indian subcontinent, (c) the Old Commonwealth,

SPOUSES ACCEPTED FOR SETTLEMENT ON ARRIVAL
New Commonwealth and Pakistan India Bangladesh Pakistan Old Commonwealth Foreign Nationals (excluding citizens of Pakistan) U.S.A.
Men
1973 Not separately recorded.
1974 517 110 3 11 71 137 67
1975 1,445 535 13 94 322 488 230
Women
1973 Not separately recorded.
1974* 1,961 531 55 477 51 377 99
1975 8,592 2,200 867 2,516 215 1,131 241
* 1st September 1974 to 31st December 1974.

PERSONS ALLOWED TO SETTLE FOLLOWING MARRIAGE BY REMOVAL OF TIME LIMIT
New Commonwealth and Pakistan India Bangladesh Pakistan Old Commonwealth Foreign Nationals (excluding citizens of Pakistan) U.S.A.
Men
1973 120 4 Nil 4 33 2,287 581
1974 1,515 261 14 102 364 3,035 702
1975 3,598 1,104 34 515 602 4,729 923
Women
1973 2,302 906 15 103 436 2,942 555
1974 3,498 1,249 46 155 512 3,176 576
1975 4,151 1,450 86 366 617 3,609 589

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many marriages in 1975 and 1976 involving immigrants were considered to be marriages of convenience by his Department; and from which country the immigrants came.

Dr. Summerskill

The operation of the Immigration Rules as they stand does not permit any precise figures to be given, but I am satisfied that there is substantial abuse by people from a wide range of nationalities.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the figure of 6,000 in paragraph 34 of the Franks Report was compiled; and (d) foreign countries including Pakistan and (c) the United States of America.

Dr. Summerskill

People admitted subject to a time limit, including male fiances and female fiancees may be accepted for settlement by reason of marriage to someone settled here. The following tables give the readily available information on husbands and wives accepted for settlement on arrival, and on people accepted for settlement by removal of time limit following marriage to someone settled in the United Kingdom.

what would be the figure if all United Kingdom passport-holding dependants of voucher holders were omitted.

Dr. Summerskill

The numbers of those accepted for settlement as parents, grandparents, or distressed relatives are not recorded separately, but they are included in those described in the published immigration statistics as "others accepted for settlement on arrival". I understand that the estimate given in the Franks Report was derived from the data given for this category in "Control of Immigration: Statistics—1975", (Cmnd. 6,504), less the number of United Kingdom passport holders (UKPH) arriving with special vouchers—who are included in the category—and a small number of dependent children aged between 18 and 21. It is estimated that, excluding the dependants of UKPH special voucher holders in this category, about 3,600 citizens of New Commonwealth countries or of Pakistan were admitted for settlement as parents, grandparents or distressed relatives in 1975.