§ 21. Mr. Jim Marshallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the quota of vouchers available to United Kingdom passport holders at present in India to expedite their entry into the United Kingdom.
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§ Mr. RaisonWe have no present plans to do so, but the matter is kept under review.
§ 36. Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it remains the intention of Her Majesty's Government to initiate a register of those people overseas who claim a right of entry for settlement into the United Kingdom as dependants of immigrants already here in 1972.
§ Mr. RaisonThe register remains part of Government policy.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom after completing four years of approved employment since the Immigration Act 1971 came into force in January 1973.
§ Mr. RaisonBetween 1 January 1973 and 30 September 1980 just over 60,000 persons were accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom after completing four years of approved employment. The annual numbers are to be found in table 17 of "Control of Immigration Statistics, 1979" (Cmnd. 7875) and table 3 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 17/80, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of dependent wives and children admitted for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom since 1973 by reason of their relationship to persons originally accepted for settlement after four years of approved employment.
§ Mr. RaisonIt is not possible to make a soundly based estimate of this kind, because the number of dependants of those granted settlement after four years in approved employment who are themselves granted settlement is not recorded separately from other dependants granted settlement.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report an index, taking the first quarter of 1979 as a base, showing for each quarter since then by what percentage the number of foreign nationals admitted for settlement after four years in approved employment has fallen short of, or exceeded, the numbers admitted in the first quarter of 1979.
§ Mr. RaisonSuch an index would give misleading emphasis to quarterly variations which occur for many reasons, some statistical and some administrative. The numbers of such acceptances for settlement are published quarterly and figures up to the third quarter of 1980 can be found in table 3 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 17/80, published on 15 December 1980, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of immigrants accepted for permanent settlement from the Philippines for each of the years 1977, 1978 and 1979; and what percentage of these in each year were (a) admitted by reason of completing four years in approved employment or (b) were dependants of those admitted for this reason.
§ Mr. RaisonThe available information is published annually in "Control of Immigration Statistics"—tables 4268W (b) and 5 of the issue for 1979, Cmnd. 7875. It is not possible to make soundly based estimates of the number who were dependent on those accepted by reason of completing four years of approved employment because the number of such dependants is not recorded separately from other dependants accepted for settlement.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, since the beginning of 1978, has been the total number of immigrants from Colombia and from Thailand accepted for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom; and what perentage of these have been admitted by reason of completing four years in approved employment.
§ Mr. RaisonNearly 1,000 Colombians and a little over 700 nationals of Thailand were accepted for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom in 1978 and 1979. Of these, about 55 per cent. and 50 per cent. respectively were accepted by reason of completing four years in approved employment. Details of the figures can be found in tables 4(b) and 5 of "Control of Immigration Statistics, 1979" (Cmnd. 7875) and the corresponding Command Paper for 1978.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Offical Report the countries from which in 1979 more than 125 persons were admitted for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom by reason of completing four years in approved employment.
§ Mr. RaisonThe information requested is published in tables 4(a) and 4(b) of "Control of Immigration Statistics, 1979" (Cmnd. 7875), available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, since the beginning of 1977, has been the total number of immigrants from Spain and Portugal accepted for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom; and what percentage of these have been admitted by reason of completing four years in approved employment.
§ Mr. RaisonSome 3,500 nationals of Spain and some 2,900 nationals of Portugal were accepted for permanent settlement in the United Kingdom between 1 January 1977 and 31 December 1979. In both cases about 45 per cent. were accepted for settlement after four years in approved employment. Details can be found in tables 4(b) and 5 of the issue of "Control of Immigration Statistics" for 1979 (Cmnd. 7875) and in corresponding Command Papers for earlier years.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been admitted to the United Kingdom with work permits of 12 months, and how many with work permits of up to 12 months, since regulations on work permits were tightened in the first quarter of 1980.
§ Mr. RaisonDuring the period 1 March 1980 to 30 September 1980 nearly 2,800 people were admitted to the United Kingdom with work permits for 12 months and some 5,250 people were admitted to the United Kingdom with work permits for less than 12 months. The quarterly numbers are published in table 8 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 17/80, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
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§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were admitted to the United Kingdom with work permits for 12 months in each quarter since the first quarter of 1977; and how many of these have since had their work permits renewed.
§ Mr. RaisonThe number of persons admitted to the United Kingdom with work permits for 12 months in each quarter since the first quarter of 1977 is published in table II of the issue of the annual Command Paper "Control of Immigration Statistics" for 1979 (Cmnd. 7875) and in table 8 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 17/80, published on 15 December 1980. Information is not available centrally on the number of such people who have had their work permits renewed.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the facilities at Gatwick airport for people refused entry into the United Kingdom to contact relations and friends in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. RaisonPersons refused entry at Gatwick airport have unrestricted access to pay telephones in the immigration control in the terminal and in the detention centre. Assistance in using them is given if necessary.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the immigration welfare advice services available at Gatwick airport.
§ Mr. RaisonAssistance is available from the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service. Its telephone number and address are displayed by the pay telephone in the detention centre. The Immigration Service notifies it of any person refused entry who has the right of appeal before removal.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration cases have been considered by his Department since May 1979; how many have been allowed; and how many refused.
§ Mr. RaisonI regret that this informaton is not available.