§ Mr. CarmichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his Answer of 13 September 2004,Official Report, column 1389W, on US visas, what form representations to US authorities on the abolition of the crew list visa scheme have taken; what further representations the Government intends to make; and if he will make a statement on this proposal. [189535]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe representations referred to, took the form of two submissions to the US State Department. The first letter, in February 2003, on 1847W behalf of the UK and a number of other governments, put forward arguments in favour of retaining the crew list waiver scheme. A second letter was sent in September 2003 seeking to ameliorate the effects of the US proposals. We have no current plans to make further specific representations, but shall keep the matter under review.
The US proposals are based on a judgment by a sovereign government about the appropriate immigration and border control to meet, inter alia, their national security requirements.