HC Deb 17 December 1979 vol 976 cc3-5W
Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a father applies for an entry certificate on behalf of his son-in-law, what confidential discussions take place with the daughter to ensure that she is not being placed under pressure.

Mr. Raison

When the husband of a woman settled in the United Kingdom applies for entry clearance, the entry clearance officer must be satisfied that the wife wants her husband to accompany

lishments further subdivided into males and females. The table for suicides gives an indication of the number of inmates aged under 21 involved and lists in a footnote the individual borstals where the incidents took place. The further information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

her or to join her in the United Kingdom, and sponsorship by the father-in-law is not enough. When the fiance of a woman settled in the United Kingdom applies for entry clearance, the fiancee may be interviewed if there is doubt about the intention of the parties to live together as man and wife after marriage. There may be a further interview for that purpose when, having married in this country and been given leave to remain for 12 months, the husband applies for revocation of the conditions on his stay.

There are thus several stages at which the intentions of the woman concerned can be assessed. For immigration purposes, it is her intentions that are relevant, and pressure which may have been placed on her can be taken into account in the decision whether to grant entry clearance only when she is prepared to state that, despite the arrangements made on her behalf, she has no intention of abiding by them.