HC Deb 28 February 2003 vol 400 c757W
Andrew Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on how many non-citizens there are in(a) Estonia and (b) Latvia; and what reports he has received on the age profiles of these groups. [100024]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The Office of the Minister of Ethnic Affairs in Estonia says that there are 164,730 non-citizens in Estonia (January 2003). The age profile of the non-citizens in 2000 (the latest year for which this breakdown is available) was:

Percentage
24 and under 32.9
25 to 44 32.3
45 to 64 25.2
65 and over 9.6

According to the Latvian Naturalisation Board, there are 504,277 non-citizens in Latvia (January 2003). Their age profile is:

Percentage
25 and under 20.3
26 to 45 28.8
46 to 65 32.7
66 and over 18.2

Andrew Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the non-citizens in Estonia and Latvia who hold special passports will be allowed to travel to the UK without visas for(a) recreation and (b) work following Estonia's accession to the EU. [100025]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The UK requires non-citizens in Estonia and Latvia who hold special passports, in common with other stateless persons, to obtain a visa before travelling to the UK for any purpose. At present there are no plans to change this requirement after Estonia and Latvia join the EU. We are continuing to support the Estonian and Latvian Governments in their moves to encourage social integration and the take-up of citizenship.

Andrew Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether non-citizens in Estonia and Latvia who hold special passports will enjoy parity of treatment with holders of Estonian and Latvian passports when seeking to travel to EU countries other than the UK, following accession; and if he will make a statement. [100026]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Following accession, member states in the Schengen zone and non-Schengen member states may choose to exempt special passport holders from the visa requirement. The UK will continue to implement its own policy, subject to constant review, in line with applicable national legislation.