§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances immigration-related inquiries are required to be referred to a Minister's private office. [1543281
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 19 March 2001]: The decision to make a Deportation Order is taken by a Minister in all cases. Any proposal to release a detainee from an Immigration Service detention centre following an application for a writ of habeas corpus must also be authorised at Ministerial level Immigration and nationality cases will otherwise be referred to Ministers if they are considered to involve significant policy issues, questions of security or if they are likely to be controversial or sensitive.