§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account he takes of the income of a member of a family settled in the United Kingdom in issuing quota vouchers to his family in India who are British overseas citizens.
§ Mr. WaddingtonI have been asked to reply.
Account is not normally taken of income in issuing special vouchers to British overseas citizens heads of household. The dependants of British overseas citizens settled here are admitted by entry clearance procedures. The income of the sponsor and other members of the family in this country is taken into account in these cases only in order to ensure that the applicants would not become an immediate burden on public funds. But income is not assessed where the sponsor has become a British citizen or was settled in the United Kingdom on the coming into force of the Immigration Act 1971.