§ Ms HewittTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many women who are British Overseas citizens have been admitted for settlement under the quota voucher system in each year since quota vouchers were introduced; [41148]
(2) how many women British Overseas citizens would qualify for admission to the United Kingdom for settlement, if women were treated in the same way as men under the quota voucher system; [41150]
(3) under what circumstances a woman who is a British Overseas citizen can be admitted for settlement under the quota voucher system; [41147]
(4) what assessment he has made of the advantages of treating women British Overseas citizens in the same way as men under the quota voucher system. [41149]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Immigration Rules, set out in House of Commons Paper 395, provide for a British Overseas citizen to be granted indefinite leave to enter the United Kingdom if he or she is in possession of a special voucher. This provision applies equally to both men and women.
A British Overseas citizen may be issued with a special voucher if he or she fulfils a number of requirements, one of which is that the person concerned is the head of their household. Women will be considered to be the head of their household if they are single, widowed, divorced or married to a man who is incapable of fulfilling the role of head of household for medical reasons, in accordance with a House of Lords ruling that this is not unlawful under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
72WThe available data on the number of women who have been admitted for settlement as special voucher holders in each year are given in the table.
Female British overseas citizens1 granted settlement as special voucher holders 1968–97 Year Number 1968 2— 1969 150 1970 140 1971 260 1972 330 1973 2— 1974 590 1975 800 1976 790 1977 490 1978 490 1979 530 1980 430 1981 390 1982 420 1983 530 1984 380 1985 320 1986 270 1987 270 1988 360 1989 290 1990 290 1991 260 1992 240 1993 170 1994 120 1995 120 1996 120 1997 90 1 United Kingdom Passport Holders prior to 1 January 1983 2 Not available