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Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [Lords]

I am sorry that my hon. Friend did not listen to what I, in fact, said rather than what he has assumed I was saying. What I said in respect of his new clause, not in relation to the general policy issue, is that it is not possible to allow those born after 1949 to retain British subject status as they did not have it. That was my simple and logical point, irrespective of one's view on the justice, morality or otherwise of the issue. My hon. Friend says that those born after 1949 who have emigrated from the Republic of Ireland and come to Britain cannot opt to be British. That is simply not the case. He may not like the route, but the fact is that a child born in the Republic who moved to the UK when a child—presumably with his or her parents—can naturalise as a British citizen under section 6(1) of the 1981 Act, or, if the parent who acquired citizenship was registered as a British citizen when still a child, it can be done under section 1(3) or 1(4) of the 1981 Act. My hon. Friend asks what is to stop a person applying in the usual way, and the answer is nothing. What is also different is the fact that the Republic of Ireland is also a member of the European Union, which has changed since 1949, so that represents an important difference.