HC Deb 21 May 1976 vol 911 cc771-2W
Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish a breakdown of the 53,000 immigrants from the New Commonwealth who were allowed to settle in Great Britain in 1975, stating (a) of those who were allowed to settle on entry, how many were admitted under the voucher scheme for citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies from East Africa and how many were the wives and children of men who had come for settlement from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh before 1973 and (b) of those whose conditions were removed, how many were in the following categories: (i) legal residence for more than five years and under what category they had been admitted, (ii) marriage, (iii) illegal overstaying for more than five years, and (iv) illegal entry falling within the amnesty.

810 Dr. Summerskill

The total of 53,000 to which my hon. Friend refers is the provisional total of citizens of New Commonwealth countries and Pakistan who in 1975 were accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom either on arrival or on subsequent removal of time limit.

34,510* were accepted for settlement on arrival, of whom (i) 7,950 were United Kingdom passport holders from East Africa with special vouchers or dependants of special voucher holders—the number of dependants of such voucher holders who did not themselves hold United Kingdom passports is not available; and (ii) 12,920* were wives and children from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Information showing how many of these came to join men from those countries or how many came to join men settled before 1973 is not available.

18,760* citizens of New Commonwealth countries and Pakistan were accepted for settlement on removal of time limit. Of these:

  1. (i) 6,010* were accepted for settlement having been ordinarily resident for 5 years and so resident on 1st January 1973, and lawfully present in the United Kingdom at the time of their application;
  2. (ii) 7,750* were accepted for settlement by reason of marriage;
  3. 772
  4. (iii) 1,840* were accepted for settlement having been ordinarily resident for 5 years and so resident on 1st January 1973, but having remained in the United Kingdom in breach of the immigration laws.

* illegal entrants from Commonwealth countries, most from countries in the New Commonwealth, and from Pakistan were, in 1975, given indefinite leave to remain in accordance with the terms of my right hon. Friend's announcement of 11th April 1974. These 810 are not included in the figures given above.

* Provisional figures.