HC Deb 18 January 2001 vol 361 cc351-2W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the applications by G. P. Hinduja and S. P. Hinduja for British citizenship from(a) the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson), and (b) the hon.. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz). [143393]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 18 December 2000]: I presume the hon. Member is referring to the applications for naturalisation made by Mr. G. P. Hinduja and Mr. S. P. Hinduja. Both Members to whom he referred, along with other hon. Members, made inquiries about the cases.

My hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) made inquiries about when a decision could be expected in the cases, and my right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) made inquiries about how an application might be viewed given the Government's wider policy of encouraging citizenship from long-standing residents who fulfilled the criteria, but did not make representations that an application be granted.