Written question asked by Andrew Mackinlay (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 February 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 28 February 2003. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Friday, 28 February 2003 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: 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.

Answer: 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.

Secondary information