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British High Commission in South Africa

I understand the point that the right hon. Lady makes, which was also made in the letter to her office and the written representations that I received. That is the point about which we are puzzled, because a visitor visa was processed, and it is odd that the option of applying for a spousal visa was not available, yet an application for a visitor visa was processed. I think that we will have to come back to that point. I know that the right hon. Lady appreciates that I have to uphold the rules. I have no intention of hindering the family—I understand that the father is a British citizen—and obviously they have made a choice about their future lives, but I have to apply the rules. On the subject of courtesy, the right hon. Lady referred to several stages involving the high commission, and perhaps the visa application office and a private agent, and she also mentioned Lunar house. Information with which I will provide her after the debate will feed into our understanding of the situation. Although I am not saying that I do not believe the account that has been given, some of it is puzzling. Individual circumstances vary, however, and misunderstandings occasionally arise while processing visa applications. The basic rules on applications are, as she acknowledges, that an application for a spousal visa must be made outside the country and that an in-country transfer is not usually allowed, although there are exceptional circumstances in which that may happen. A visitor visa was issued in this family's case and, as I said, it is logical that that must have involved an appointment, an application and the processing of documents. I am therefore puzzled as to why the application for spousal and family visas was not made at that stage. The assumption throughout this debate is that the lady in question—the wife—is the primary applicant. There are children involved as well, who would be entitled to apply for British citizenship by virtue of their father's British citizenship. [Interruption.] The right hon. Lady says from a sedentary position, "From here?" The issue that we would have been dealing with is the wife's application. The right hon. Lady raised the issue of the children this evening. Of course I will come back to her. Some aspects are puzzling, and I hope the illumination that I will be able to shed on the case will satisfy her. The right hon. Lady refers to the good intent of the family. My experience is that all applicants claim, or have, good intent. Unfortunately, the rules are the rules, and I must apply them. She does not need me to tell her that; I think she did this job at one stage in her rather formidable career, as I knew already—but learned even more about from my research. If I may, I shall write to her with the details that I can give her, to reassure her and her constituents that I take this matter seriously.