Immigration Advisers (Hansard, 7 May 1999)

§ Mr. Clappison
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average fee paid, at present, by those making use of the services of immigration advisers. [82540]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
The immigration advice market is unregulated and so we have little information about the average fee paid by those making use of the services of immigration advisers. Members of Parliament sometimes complain that constituents have paid hundreds or thousands of pounds for advice.

§ Mr. Clappison
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration advisers are currently operating in England and Wales. [82534]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
Immigration advice is largely unregulated and so it is difficult to estimate the number of immigration advisers operating in England and Wales. The Immigration Law Practitioners Association has 830 members and there may be a further 200 individuals and companies offering immigration advice for reward. We know that significant numbers of people in the voluntary sector are also providing immigration advice.

§ Mr. Clappison
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of immigration advisers in England and Wales operating(a) illegally and (b) unscrupulously. [82541]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
As immigration advice is currently unregulated it is not possible to estimate how many immigration advisers in England and Wales are at any one time behaving illegally. Unscrupulous behaviour normally becomes apparent only after a complaint is made by a client. Clients are often vulnerable people reluctant to complain. Members of Parliament regularly write to me complaining that their constituents have been incompetently or unscrupulously advised.

§ Mr. Clappison
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration advisers have(a) had proceedings instituted against them for, and (b) been convicted of, illegal activity in each of the last five years. [82535]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
This is an unregulated market where incompetence and unscrupulous behaviour is largely unmonitored. The information that is available in relation to proceedings for offences under immigration law is shown in the table:

Number of immigration advisers who have had proceedings instituted against them Number of immigration advisers who have been convicted

1995 ¹— 2

1996 ¹— 1

1997 ¹— 1

1998 ¹— 3

1999 (to date) 1 1

¹ No information available

	Number of immigration advisers who have had proceedings instituted against them	Number of immigration advisers who have been convicted
1995	¹—	2
1996	¹—	1
1997	¹—	1
1998	¹—	3
1999 (to date)	1	1
¹ No information available