HC Deb 29 February 1980 vol 979 cc771-2W
Mr. Jim Callaghan

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants are at present being held in detention; and what is the longest period during which any immigrant has been so held.

Mr. Raison

Information about persons seeking entry to the United Kingdom, who are detained at ports, is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. If the hon. Member's question concerns those detained under schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 as having entered the United Kingdom illegally, then I would refer him to the reply given on 13 February to a question by the hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on this subject. On 31 December 1979, 161 males and 12 females were held under the provisions of the Immigration Act 1971 in prison department establishments in England and Wales. The longest period for which one of them had been detained was 270 days. —[Vol. 978, c. 644.]

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary for the Home Department whether persons who are not United Kingdom passport holders or citizens of the European Economic Community who wish to reside in the United Kingdom will be permitted to do so under the immigration rules if they have either £100,000 or an income of £10,000 per annum.

Mr. Raison

Decisions will be taken in accordance with the statement of changes in immigration rules—House of Commons paper 1979–80 No. 394. Paragraph 38 deals particularly with persons of independent means.

Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under the new immigration rules, what are the different rights accorded to fiancées who enter with a view to marriage and who are duly and properly married and to visitors who duly and properly marry during their legitimate period of stay.

Mr. Raison

A woman who married a man settled here would normally be given indefinite leave to remain under paragraph 114 or 115 of HC 394. Her position is in this respect unchanged from that under the old rules. A male visitor would not qualify for an extension of stay or for leave to remain unless the conditions of paragraph 117 were met.