HC Deb 30 January 2001 vol 362 cc166-8W
Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since he became Home Secretary he has met(a) Mr. Srichand Hinduja and (b) Mr. Gopichand Hinduja; and what was discussed. [148000]

Mr. Straw

I may have been present at functions which were also attended by Mr. Srichand Hinduja and Mr. Gopichand Hinduja but to the best of my recollection I have not met either Mr. Srichand Hinduja or Mr. Gopichand Hinduja, nor have I had any official meetings with them.

Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on which dates since he became Home Secretary he has visited the Hindu Temple in Neasden; at whose instigation the visits were organised; and on how many occasions(a) Mr. Srichand Hinduja and (b) Mr. Gopichand Hinduja were present. [148003]

Mr. Straw

I have visited the Hindu Temple in Neasden once, on 31 August last year as part of preparations for my official visit to India in September. The suggestion came from my officials, as my itinerary in India included a visit to the Akshadham Swaminarayan Temple in Ahmedabad, a sister temple to the Hindu Temple in Neasden. I do not know whether Mr. Srichand Hinduja or Mr. Gopichand Hinduja were at the temple in Neasden when I visited, but to the best of my recollection I met neither of them there.

Mr. Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he received, on what dates, from the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz), concerning the applications for naturalisation from(a) Mr. Srichand Hinduja and (b) Mr. G. P. Hinduja; and if he will make a statement. [147884]

Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Lord Levy has(a) made inquiries, (b) made representations and (c) submitted material in connection with applications for citizenship made by (i) Mr. G. P. Hinduja and (ii) Mr. S. P. Hinduja. [147988]

Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations were made to him in relation to the application by Mr. G. P. Hinduja for British citizenship; and if he will make a statement; [147994]

(2) what contact was made with the Indian authorities about Mr. S. P. Hinduja's business dealings before his application for British citizenship was considered; and if he will make a statement; [147993]

(3) when he was first informed of Mr. S. P. Hinduja's application for citizenship; and if he will make a statement. [147992]

Mr. Straw

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 24 January that he had asked former Treasury Solicitor, Sir Anthony Hammond QC, to review the full circumstances surrounding approaches to the Home Office in connection with the possibility of an application for naturalisation by Mr. S. P. Hinduja in 1998. Sir Anthony started his review on Thursday 25 January. After an initial reading of the papers, Sir Anthony has decided that, in order to fulfil the terms of reference of his review of the application for naturalisation of S. P. Hinduja, it is appropriate for him to look at the circumstances of the granting of naturalisation in respect of G. P. Hinduja because the circumstances of both applications are closely related. For the same reason, he has also decided that it is appropriate for him to look at the circumstances surrounding the inquiries about naturalisation in respect of Prakesh Hinduja.

Sir Anthony aims to complete his review as quickly as possible, consistently with the need to conduct a thorough investigation. I understand that on the information currently available to Sir Anthony, he hopes to complete the review by the end of February. The report will be published and copies will be placed in the Vote Office and the Library. It would be inappropriate for me to pre-empt the outcome of this review.

Mr. Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the applications for naturalisation from(a) Mr. Srichand Hinduja and (b) Mr. G. P. Hinduja were processed and determined other than by routine date order of application; and if he will make a statement. [147602]

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will place in the Library the note of his Minister's conversation with the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) concerning Mr. S. Hinduja's qualification for British citizenship; [147794]

(2) who made the decision to grant naturalisation to Mr. S. Hinduja; [147808]

(3) if the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) contacted (a) Ministers and (b) officials at the Home Office concerning the Hinduja case. [147793]

Mr. Soames

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since 1997 Ministers have made representations to the Home Office on behalf of the Hindujas. [147727]

Mr. Straw

[holding answer 29 January 2001]: My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced on 24 January that he had asked former Treasury Solicitor, Sir Anthony Hammond QC, to review the full circumstances surrounding approaches to the Home Office in connection with the possibility of an application for naturalisation by Mr. S. P. Hinduja in 1998. Sir Anthony started his review on Thursday 25 January. After an initial reading of the papers, Sir Anthony has decided that, in order to fulfil the terms of reference of his review of the application for naturalisation of S. P. Hinduja, it is appropriate for him to look at the circumstances of the granting of naturalisation in respect of G. P. Hinduja because the circumstances of both applications are closely related. For the same reason, he has also decided that it is appropriate for him to look at the circumstances surrounding the inquiries about naturalisation in respect of Prakesh Hinduja.

Sir Anthony aims to complete his review as quickly as possible, consistently with the need to conduct a thorough investigation. I understand that on the information currently available to Sir Anthony, he hopes to complete the review by the end of February. The report will be published and copies will be placed in the Vote Office and the Library. It would be inappropriate for me to pre-empt the outcome of this review.