§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make an up-to-date statement on the case of Viraj Mendis.
§ Mr. RentonFurther to the reply given to a question from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook (Mr. Hattersley), on 18 January, Mr. Mendis applied for judicial review of my right hon. Friend's refusal to reverse the decisions to refuse refugee status and to make a deportation order against him. The Divisional court and the Court of Appeal rejected this application on 19 January.
No satisfactory assurance was received about Mr. Mendis' admissibility to a third country, and he was removed to Sri Lanka on the 12.15 pm Air Lanka flight from Gatwick airport on 20 January.
§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the total cost to public funds in respect of Mr. Viraj Mendis including legal costs, transport costs and supplementary benefit payments since the time at which his overstay in the United Kingdom commenced.
§ Mr. RentonIt is not practicable to quantify the staffing and other resources spent by the Home Office in connection with Mr. Mendis' case, but these were considerable. Costs incurred by other Departments are a matter for my right hon. and hon. Friends the Ministers concerned.