§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet able to say when he expects to lay before Parliament a statement of changes in the immigration rules.
§ Mr. WhitelawI shall make and lay before Parliament a statement of further changes in the rules as soon as possible in accordance with the provisions of section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971, which require me to do so not later than 16 February.
The existing immigration rules (HC 394) will apply to any case decided this year and, as I explained to the House on 15 December, the immigration rules contained in the statement laid before Parliament on 6 December—HC 66—take effecton 1 January 1983 and will apply to decisions taken on or after that date until fresh rules come into effect. Applications which have not been decided when those further changes come into effect will fall to be decided under the provisions of the rules as further changed.