My Lords, a few hours ago the Minister said that we invaded Afghanistan to prevent it becoming a haven for international terrorism. She did not remind your Lordships that that was also one of the excuses given for the invasion of Iraq, which, as President Mubarak said at the time,...

My Lords, a few hours ago the Minister said that we invaded Afghanistan to prevent it becoming a haven for international terrorism. She did not remind your Lordships that that was also one of the excuses given for the invasion of Iraq, which, as President Mubarak said at the time,...

I was in the process of winding up, and I hope that we can bring this matter to a conclusion. Before we leave universities altogether, like the noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy, I have read the papers and looked at the consultation, and I am perfectly well aware of what the...

I was in the process of winding up, and I hope that we can bring this matter to a conclusion. Before we leave universities altogether, like the noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy, I have read the papers and looked at the consultation, and I am perfectly well aware of what the...

I warmly congratulate my noble friend Lord Goodhart on his ingenuity in bringing what is effectively a nationality problem within the ambit of the Long Title of this Bill which is concerned with immigration. In the British Nationality Act 1948, a child born overseas to a British mother and a...

I warmly congratulate my noble friend Lord Goodhart on his ingenuity in bringing what is effectively a nationality problem within the ambit of the Long Title of this Bill which is concerned with immigration. In the British Nationality Act 1948, a child born overseas to a British mother and a...

There was an interesting discussion on a very similar amendment in the Public Bill Committee on 15 March. The Minister, Joan Ryan, said then that there would be reports to Parliament on the operation not only of Clause 19 but of every other clause, and that the independent inspectorate would...

There was an interesting discussion on a very similar amendment in the Public Bill Committee on 15 March. The Minister, Joan Ryan, said then that there would be reports to Parliament on the operation not only of Clause 19 but of every other clause, and that the independent inspectorate would...

Far be it from me to come to the defence of Minister—that is not my job. This question is a long way wide of the amendment, which concerns the fees that a sponsor pays to bring someone into the United Kingdom. While it is perfectly legitimate for the Minister to...

Far be it from me to come to the defence of Minister—that is not my job. This question is a long way wide of the amendment, which concerns the fees that a sponsor pays to bring someone into the United Kingdom. While it is perfectly legitimate for the Minister to...

I think that the noble Lord gave figures for the years up to 2005. As he knows, the immigration statistics for 2006 are not yet published and are not due until August. It would be very useful if the noble Lord could give us the number of children whose age...

I think that the noble Lord gave figures for the years up to 2005. As he knows, the immigration statistics for 2006 are not yet published and are not due until August. It would be very useful if the noble Lord could give us the number of children whose age...

The noble Lord may say that, but in the consultation document on the process of age determination, there was no reference to the 1981 report. Therefore, I must be given leave to suspect that there are people in the Minister’s department who were not aware of its existence. That report...

The noble Lord may say that, but in the consultation document on the process of age determination, there was no reference to the 1981 report. Therefore, I must be given leave to suspect that there are people in the Minister’s department who were not aware of its existence. That report...

Can the Minister explain how someone who is born immediately before 7 February 1961 has no connection with the United Kingdom, whereas someone born immediately after that date has a close connection?

Can the Minister explain how someone who is born immediately before 7 February 1961 has no connection with the United Kingdom, whereas someone born immediately after that date has a close connection?

We were grateful to the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Scotland, for the letter of 22 June explaining that Amendments Nos. 34A and 36A were tabled following the recommendations of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, as the noble Baroness has just said. The committee is to be congratulated...

We were grateful to the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Scotland, for the letter of 22 June explaining that Amendments Nos. 34A and 36A were tabled following the recommendations of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, as the noble Baroness has just said. The committee is to be congratulated...

The point raised by the noble Baroness was by way of example and was maybe not unique. Documents that are submitted with the application may turn out to be invalid for one reason or another, and she has given a particular instance of an incorrect date being given that could...

The point raised by the noble Baroness was by way of example and was maybe not unique. Documents that are submitted with the application may turn out to be invalid for one reason or another, and she has given a particular instance of an incorrect date being given that could...

The noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy, may be thinking of the situation that used to be prevalent, whereby people applied to bogus institutions in this country as a means of entering the country illegally, and then disappeared underground. However, because the Government have limited the number of approved institutions for overseas...

The noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy, may be thinking of the situation that used to be prevalent, whereby people applied to bogus institutions in this country as a means of entering the country illegally, and then disappeared underground. However, because the Government have limited the number of approved institutions for overseas...

The point I was trying to elucidate earlier was a more general one. Zimbabwe is an illustration of it, but there are other countries to which we do not return people at the moment. We do not return anyone to Baghdad, although we send them back to Erbil in northern...

The point I was trying to elucidate earlier was a more general one. Zimbabwe is an illustration of it, but there are other countries to which we do not return people at the moment. We do not return anyone to Baghdad, although we send them back to Erbil in northern...

moved Amendment No. 34: 34: After Clause 17, insert the following new Clause— ““Withdrawal of support: repeal Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 (c. 19) (failed asylum seekers: withdrawal of support) is repealed.”” The noble Lord said: This amendment, like the two amendments...

moved Amendment No. 34: 34: After Clause 17, insert the following new Clause— ““Withdrawal of support: repeal Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 (c. 19) (failed asylum seekers: withdrawal of support) is repealed.”” The noble Lord said: This amendment, like the two amendments...

I am most grateful to all those who have taken part in this debate which, the Minister will agree, has been entirely one-sided, because there have been seven speeches against the Government’s position and only the Minister’s for it. We have tried to help him. My noble friend Lord Dholakia...

I am most grateful to all those who have taken part in this debate which, the Minister will agree, has been entirely one-sided, because there have been seven speeches against the Government’s position and only the Minister’s for it. We have tried to help him. My noble friend Lord Dholakia...

Then why cannot the noble Lord produce those opinions? Let us hear them. It is getting a bit late; we have only a couple of minutes; we are under pressure from the clock. Before I finish, I want to challenge the noble Lord’s assertion that there had been enormous advances...

Then why cannot the noble Lord produce those opinions? Let us hear them. It is getting a bit late; we have only a couple of minutes; we are under pressure from the clock. Before I finish, I want to challenge the noble Lord’s assertion that there had been enormous advances...

I am glad to hear that and I would like to see the responses. They should have been published by now because the consultation finished on 31 May.

I am glad to hear that and I would like to see the responses. They should have been published by now because the consultation finished on 31 May.

What the noble Baroness said about the use of dental X-rays in family courts was news to me. I hope that that will be referred to the Royal College, which, when I last asked, was opposed to the use of X-rays, and so were the British Medical Association and the...

What the noble Baroness said about the use of dental X-rays in family courts was news to me. I hope that that will be referred to the Royal College, which, when I last asked, was opposed to the use of X-rays, and so were the British Medical Association and the...

Did the Minister say that there was an intention to go ahead with dental X-rays, because Lin Homer said at the meeting upstairs only last week that no decision had been taken?

Did the Minister say that there was an intention to go ahead with dental X-rays, because Lin Homer said at the meeting upstairs only last week that no decision had been taken?

That will be in time for Report stage. Meanwhile, I refer to the comments made by the Children’s Commissioner in the foreword to the ILPA report, When is a child not a child?. He said: "““Of serious concern to me is the Home Office’s proposal that the assessment of skeletal...

That will be in time for Report stage. Meanwhile, I refer to the comments made by the Children’s Commissioner in the foreword to the ILPA report, When is a child not a child?. He said: "““Of serious concern to me is the Home Office’s proposal that the assessment of skeletal...

First, there is no argument between us about the necessity for having as reliable a procedure for determining age as is technically and scientifically possible, while always bearing in mind that this is not an exact science. However you refine the procedures, there is always going to be a residue...

First, there is no argument between us about the necessity for having as reliable a procedure for determining age as is technically and scientifically possible, while always bearing in mind that this is not an exact science. However you refine the procedures, there is always going to be a residue...