§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to increase any of the entry clearance application fees.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonAn Order in Council (The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 1994) was made on 14 December which provides for changes in entry clearance application fees with effect from 4 January 1995.
A number of non-entry clearance consular fees were increased on 24 November. It is government policy that the cost of entry clearance services should be borne by the users as far as possible. Some entry clearance fees, however, have remained unchanged for many years. To avoid too great a rise in the fee for settlement and analogous services, the increase will be made in two further annual stages until full cost-recovery is achieved in 1997.