HL Deb 03 March 1981 vol 417 cc1377-8WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Over what period the United Kingdom High Commission in Nairobi refused to accept quota voucher applications from United Kingdom passport holders who were born in Goa or whose parents or grandparents were born in Goa; when they started applying a similar rule in respect of persons of Pakistani birth or ancestry; and what statutory justification they have for this change of policy.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Lord Carrington)

The British High Commission in Nairobi have not refused to accept applications for special vouchers from eligible persons with a Goa or Pakistan connection. All voucher applications must be scrutinised to establish whether the applicant holds a second citizenship which would make him ineligible for a special voucher. The special voucher scheme is not a statutory one.