§ Sir Trevor Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. and learned Member for Burton (Mr. Lawrence) on 11 February, Official Report, columns 394–95, what representations he has received on the draft guidelines concerning representations made by right hon. and hon. Members in immigration cases; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdMy hon. and learned Friend and I have had meetings with, and have received written comments from, a number of right hon. and hon. Members from both sides of the House.
We remain convinced that the working of the present system creates serious strains which could destroy it if numbers continue to increase rapidly, and that it is therefore in the interests of all concerned to find means of improvement.
The main points which emerged from these consultations concerned the proposals about contacts with the ports, the need to provide for right hon. and hon. Members to act for a constituency Member when he or she is not available, the references in the draft guidelines to temporary admission and detention, and the need to emphasise that persons who marry while on temporary admission should be required to return to their own counry to obtain entry clearance.
In the light of the points raised I am today placing in the Library revised draft guidelines. The principal change reflects the wish of a number of right hon. and hon. Members that they should still be able to ring my private office and that of my hon. and learned Friend to ask for the removal of a passenger to be deferred while representations are made and considered. Although I believe that many of the objections raised to the proposal for contacting the ports were misconceived, I am ready to see if the present arrangements can effectively be sustained for the future.
An opportunity will be provided for the House to debate the revised proposals before new guidelines become effective.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dependants of United Kingdom citizens were accepted for admission in the 12-month period from May 1980 to April 1981.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe available information relates to the numbers subject to immigration control who were accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom. In the year ending March 1981, a total of 40,800 wives, children and other dependant relatives were accepted for settlement.