§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, in the light of the letter of 9 December 1986 from the Home Department to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West, referring him to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding the case of Mr. Ramasamy Rajendrau, the hon. Member subsequently received a letter from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office dated 26 January 1987, referring him back to the Home Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Waddington; Mr. Ramasamy's application was apparently referred by the High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to the Home Office for a decision on 28 October, but the papers went astray in transit. When I wrote to the hon. Member on 9 December I was therefore unaware that the case had been so referred. Having contacted the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was able to establish the true position, and this was explained in the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's letter of 26 January. A further copy of the referral report has now been obtained. I regret the delays that have occurred and shall write to the hon. Member as soon as a decision on the application has been reached.