HL Deb 12 May 1982 vol 430 cc296-7WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many persons who applied for naturalisation as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies were refused in 1981; how many of those refused were advised that they should not reapply for at least two years; whether they were given analysis of the reasons for refusal, and whether they will give a similar analysis of the applications for discretionary registration granted and refused in that year.

Lord Elton

The figures for 1981 are as follows:

Naturalisation Registration at discretion (section 5A(2) of the BNA 1948)
Number of applications received 9,714 6,636
Number of applications granted 6,432 1,937(1)
Number of applications refused 895 648
Resaons for refusal(2):
(a) Failure to meet statutory residential requirements etc. 379 364
(b) Failure to meet requirement as to character (criminal record, bankruptcy, insolvency, dubious business or other record, deception, etc.) 218 75
(c) Failure to meet language requirement 126 37
(d) Failure to meet requirements as to future residential intentions 152 123
(e) Other reasons 56 62
(1) 6,636 discretionary registration applications were received, compared with 2,068 in 1980. As with naturalisation, the total of discretionary registrations granted after inquires have been made, relates to application received many months earlier. A large proportion of refusals, however, arises from first inspection of applications shortly after receipt when, for example, nearly all refusals at category (a) occur.
(2) An application may be refused for more than one reason. The number of applicants refused in any one year will therefore not necessarily agree with the total of reasons for that year.

Information as to how many persons were advised that they should not reapply for at least two years could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.