HC Deb 20 March 1997 vol 292 cc834-5W
26. Mr. David Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the effect on immigration levels of the abolition of the primary purpose rule and the admission of immediate members of the same family already resident in the United Kingdom. [19807]

Mr. Kirkhope

If the primary purpose rule were to be abolished it is estimated that currently between 1,200 and 2,200 applicants would be eligible for admission each year. It is not possible to estimate the effect of easier admission for the immediate family members of persons settled in the United Kingdom.

Mrs. Wise

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women, being (i) Pakistani (ii) Indian, (iii) Australian, (iv) Canadian and (v) Filipino citizens, have sought to enter the United Kingdom as spouses or finances, and have been successful on (1) application and (2) appeal in the most recent year for which figures are available. [21334]

Mr. Kirkhope

The latest available information on grants of entry clearance and on successful appeals against an initial refusal of entry clearance in India and Pakistan is given in table A. Corresponding information for the other countries is not available centrally. For those countries, information by nationally on those granted leave to enter the United Kingdom as spouses or fiancé(e) s is given in table B.

Table B: Persons admitted to the Unite financé(e)s, by selected natit Kingdom as spouses or nalities, 1995
Persons
Granted leave to enter the United Kingdom as spouse or financé (e)
Nationality Males Females
Australia 420 580
Canada 140 160
Philippines 70 430
Figures rounded to the nearest 10.