HL Deb 05 March 2002 vol 632 cc5-6WA
Lord Hoyle

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to make any changes to the special voucher scheme which relates to British overseas citizens. [HL3145]

Lord Rooker

The special voucher scheme was introduced in 1968 in recognition of the specific hardship being suffered at that time by British overseas citizen (BOC) passport holders and their dependants who were under political pressure to leave their countries of residence in East Africa but who held no other citizenship and had nowhere else to go. Several thousand BOCs and other United Kingdom passport holders took advantage of the scheme and settled in the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s.

However, the world political situation has now changed and BOCs are no longer under threat of expulsion. They have over the intervening years either settled with their families in the new independent East African countries or, alternatively, some have moved with their families to India. Their families have now grown up and have families of their own.

There are relatively few applications for special vouchers these days and those who do apply are not being pressured to leave the country in which they reside. The scheme no longer serves the purpose for which it was set up. The Government have therefore decided that the time has come to abolish the scheme, with immediate effect. No new applications for special vouchers will be considered.