§ Mr. RooneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests since 1 May he and his Ministers have received from hon. Members to discuss individual cases; and how many of these have been granted. [13879]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI could not say without consulting each individual file how many meeting requests I have received, but I will always be happy to meet hon. Members to discuss cases unless there are strong reasons for not doing so. Often a meeting proves to be unnecessary because the case is resolved to the Member's satisfaction, and if an individual is detained pending removal I will often prefer to handle representations in writing or by telephone in order to prevent delay.
I have already held 25 such meetings at the Home Office, and have another 10 scheduled for the next month. I aim to respond promptly to such requests.