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Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 July (HL206), whether they have had any discussions with (1) the Commonwealth Secretariat, (2) the governments of other Commonwealth nations, and (3) any other persons or bodies, concerning the Republic of Ireland re-joining the Commonwealth.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Non-affiliated)

Answering body

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

1 August 2017

Reference

HL1000

House

House of Lords

Commonwealth: Republic of Ireland

Her Majesty's Government what part, if any, they are playing in discussions about the Republic of Ireland re-joining the Commonwealth.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Non-affiliated)

Answering body

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 July 2017

Reference

HL206

House

House of Lords

Elections: Registration

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 22 May (Official Report, col. 41–2), whether electors declaring a Commonwealth nationality on registering to vote will be asked to declare their immigration status, and, if so, how; and whether proof of eligibility will...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 June 2012

Reference

737 c273WA; HL530

House

House of Lords

Elections: Postal Votes

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether inability to get to a polling station is a criterion for obtaining a postal vote; what are the other current criteria; and whether they will require those applying for postal votes who are Commonwealth citizens with leave to enter or remain in the United...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 June 2012

Reference

737 c158WA; HL531

House

House of Lords

Elections: Registration

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 22 May (WA 41-2), whether they will ensure that the Directgov website adds that on “qualifying” Commonwealth citizens are eligible to register to vote; and that Directgov and the Electoral Commission’s website in future...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 June 2012

Reference

HL529; 737 cc158-160WA

House

House of Lords

Elections: Registration

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to ensure that electoral registration forms will in future, in the case of Commonwealth citizens, include a related question on immigration status and the individual's leave or right to be in the United Kingdom, and available associated proof, to enable assessment...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 May 2012

Reference

HL27; 737 cc41-2WA

House

House of Lords

Commonwealth

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what human rights undertakings would a country be required to make to join the Commonwealth.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

28 June 2011

Reference

10165; 728 c392WA

House

House of Lords

Elections: Voting System

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 7 June (WA 100), why they will not ascertain the details of the number of Commonwealth citizens registered in each Northern Ireland constituency from the electoral authorities there; when they adopted this policy; and...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

20 June 2011

Reference

9913; 728 c236WA

House

House of Lords

Elections: Commonwealth Citizens

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Commonwealth citizens are entitled to vote in Northern Ireland in each constituency; and in which types of elections.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

7 June 2011

Reference

9536; 728 c99-100WA

House

House of Lords

Asylum Seekers

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 10 May (WA 199–200), how many asylum seekers have applied for asylum from each Commonwealth country in the last 10 years; how many of those have been refused asylum; and to which of those...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

18 May 2011

The numbers of asylum applications received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, from nationals of each Commonwealth country over the last 10 years are provided below in Table A.

Asylum applications received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants(1), 2001 to 2010, Commonwealth nationals
Country of nationality	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009 (P)	2010 (P)
Antigua and Barbuda	*	*	-	-	*	*	-	*	*	-
Australia	*	5	*	*	-	-	*	*	5	*
Bahamas, The	-	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bangladesh	510	720	735	510	425	440	540	455	440	450
Barbados	*	-	-	-	-	*	-	*	*	*
Belize	-	*	*	-	-	-	*	-	-	*
Botswana	*	10	15	10	5	5	5	5	10	15
Brunei	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cameroon	380	615	505	360	290	260	160	115	90	85
Canada	5	5	5	5	5	5	*	*	5	*
Cyprus	20	40	5	-	-	-	*	-	-	-
Dominica	-	-	-	5	*	*	*	-	*	5
Fiji(2)				-	-	-
Gambia, The	65	130	95	100	90	110	100	125	210	240
Ghana	190	275	325	355	230	130	120	140	140	165
Grenada	-	-	-	*	-	5	*	*	5	*
Guyana	5	10	10	5	5	*	5	10	10	5
India	1,850	1,865	2,290	1,405	940	680	510	715	615	520
Jamaica	525	1,310	965	455	325	215	240	240	200	215
Kenya	305	350	220	145	100	95	115	150	100	115
Kiribati	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lesotho	*	5	-	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Malawi	45	95	150	170	130	65	65	115	160	165
Malaysia	20	25	20	15	20	20	30	35	35	55
Maldives	-	15	*	5	-	*	-	-	*	-
Malta	*	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mauritius	15	10	10	20	10	15	20	20	15	40
Mozambique	5	5	5	5	5	*	*	5	*	*
Namibia	5	10	*	*	*	10	5	10	20	20
Nauru	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
New Zealand	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-
Nigeria	810	1,125	1,010	1,090	1,025	790	780	820	680	780
Pakistan	2.860	2.405	1,915	1,710	1,145	965	1,030	1,230	1,300	1,400
Papua New Guinea	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rwanda	530	655	260	75	40	20	15	20	25	20
St. Kitts and Nevis	-	-	-	-	*	-	*	*	-	*
St. Lucia	*	*	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	*	-	*	*	*	*	*	*	5	5
Samoa	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Seychelles	15	20	10	5	*	*	*	5	5	*
Sierra Leone	1,940	1,155	380	230	135	125	85	55	80	80
Singapore	*	5	5	5	*	-	*	*	*	*
Solomon Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
South Africa	130	230	265	180	120	90	12D	145	175	125
Sri Lanka	5,510	3,130	705	330	395	525	990	1,475	1,115	1,360
Swaziland	*	*	5	*	*	5	5	15	5	*
Tanzania	80	40	30	20	20	15	20	25	35	25
Tonga	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trinidad and Tobago	5	5	15	10	5	5	*	15	30	10
Tuvalu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-	-
Uganda	480	715	705	405	205	165	130	130	155	215
Vanuatu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zambia	20	15	15	15	15	15	15	10	30	15
Zimbabwe(3)	2,140	7,655	3,295	2,065	1,075	1,650	1,800	3,165	5,600	1,410
Total	18,495	22,656	13,985	9,715	6,780	6,440	6,925	9,275	11,305	7,565

"(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5(- = 0,* = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.""(2) Fiji has had membership of the Commonwealth suspended since 8 December 2006.""(3) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.""(P) Provisional figures." "(2) Fiji has had membership of the Commonwealth suspended since 8 December 2006.""(3) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.""(P) Provisional figures." "(3) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.""(P) Provisional figures." "(P) Provisional figures." The numbers of refusals at initial decision for nationals of each Commonwealth country over the past 10 years are provided below in Table B.

Refusals(1)(2) of asylum, exceptional leave, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, excluding dependants, 2001 to 2010, Commonwealth nationals
Country of nationality	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009 (P)	2010 (P)
Antigua and Barbuda	-	*	*	-	*	-	-	-	-	*
Australia	*	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*
Bahamas, The	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bangladesh	920	445	500	305	250	260	325	250	275	360
Barbados	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	*	*
Belize	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Botswana	5	5	15	5	5	*	5	5	5	10
Brunei	*	-	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cameroon	500	440	525	335	245	185	165	90	70	75
Canada	*	5	5	5	*	*	-	-	5	*
Cyprus	25	40	20	5	-	-	-	*	-	-
Dominica	-	-	-	5	*	*	*	-	-	5
Fiji(3)	5	5	5	-	-	-	-	*	*	*
Gambia, The	65	105	100	115	80	90	75	60	130	180
Ghana	330	230	320	315	190	85	95	95	95	150
Grenada	*	-	-	*	*	*	*	-	5	*
Guyana	5	5	10	5	5	*	5	10	10	5
India	2,880	1,815	2,300	1,510	915	565	430	325	280	345
Jamaica	470	890	1,105	500	305	160	225	170	155	200
Kenya	820	300	245	170	95	80	95	110	75	100
Kiribati	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lesotho	*	5	*	*	*	-	*	-	*	*
Malawi	55	55	150	150	110	50	55	70	135	145
Malaysia	25	20	30	10	10	10	15	20	20	35
Maldives	*	10	*	*	-	-	-	-	*	*
Malta	-	*	*	*	*	-	-	-	-	-
Mauritius	20	5	10	20	5	10	15	20	10	35
Mozambique	5	5	*	5	5	5	*	5	5	*
Namibia	5	10	*	*	*	10	5	5	10	15
Nauru-		-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
New Zealand	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-
Nigeria	1,110	1,010	1,040	990	805	560	595	560	515	715
Pakistan	3,995	2,310	2,050	1,795	1,040	690	775	730	1,010	1,260
Papua New Guinea	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rwanda	455	315	360	170	50	15	25	10	15	25
St. Kitts and Nevis	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-	-	*
St. Lucia	*	*	*	5	*	5	5	5	5	5
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	*	*	-	-	*	*	*	*	*	5
Samoa	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Seychelles	15	20	10	5	5	*	*	*	5	*
Sierra Leone	1,125	1,255	610	320	145	85	80	35	50	75
Singapore	5	5	5	*	5	-	-	*	-	*
Solomon Islands	-	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
South Africa	135	190	245	230	90	55	85	75	115	125
Sri Lanka	8370	3,670	1,355	625	455	370	810	670	1,060	1.395
Swaziland	*	*	*	5	*	5	10	5	5	5
Tanzania	110	35	40	20	20	15	20	20	25	25
Tonga	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trinidad and Tobago	10	10	15	5	5	5	5	5	15	20
Tuvalu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Uganda	955	510	615	355	190	125	115	80	130	180
Vanuatu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zambia	40	15	15	20	15	10	10	15	20	15
Zimbabwe(4)	1,970	3,885	3.285	2,310	945	1,510	1,155	2.015	4,110	1,300
Total	24,435	17,630	14,990	10,320	5,995	4,960	5,200	5,465	8,375	6,825

"(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.""(2) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions, by year of decision.""(3) Fiji has had membership of the Commonwealth suspended since 8 December 2006.""(4) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.""(P) Provisional figures." "(2) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions, by year of decision.""(3) Fiji has had membership of the Commonwealth suspended since 8 December 2006.""(4) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.""(P) Provisional figures." "(3) Fiji has had membership of the Commonwealth suspended since 8 December 2006.""(4) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.""(P) Provisional figures." "(4) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.""(P) Provisional figures." "(P) Provisional figures." There are no Commonwealth countries to which as a matter of policy the Government will not return failed asylum seekers for safety reasons. Further information on asylum is available from the Control of Immigration publications available in the Library of the House and the Home Office Science website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/ research-statistics.

Date

18 May 2011

Reference

9206; 727 c328-33WA

House

House of Lords

Commonwealth

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what qualifications are required for a state applying to join the Commonwealth for its application to be supported by the United Kingdom.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 November 2010

Reference

3685; 722 c152WA

House

House of Lords

Commonwealth

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards nations which seek to be part of the Commonwealth.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 November 2010

Reference

3686; 722 c152-3WA

House

House of Lords

Elections

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 20 July (WA 192), what reasons they have for continuing to permit Commonwealth citizens given leave to enter the United Kingdom on a student visa to become immediately eligible to vote in parliamentary elections on taking...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 November 2010

Reference

3075; 722 c18WA

House

House of Lords

Elections

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 20 July (WA 192), why Commonwealth citizens granted visas to enter the United Kingdom are immediately eligible to register to vote in parliamentary elections on taking up residence in a particular constituency rather than on being...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Notes

Answer received between Monday 2 August and Monday 9 August 2010.

Date

27 September 2010

Reference

1683; 720 c436WA

House

House of Lords

Elections

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 20 June (WA 279), whether qualifying Commonwealth citizens given leave to enter the United Kingdom will on taking up residence in a particular constituency continue to be immediately eligible under the Representation of the People Act...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

20 July 2010

Reference

1053; 720 c192WA

House

House of Lords

Elections

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether qualifying Commonwealth citizens given visas granting them leave to enter the United Kingdom will on entry continue to be immediately eligible to register to vote in Westminster elections.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

30 June 2010

Reference

728; 719 c279WA

House

House of Lords

Elections: Registration

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what checks are made by electoral registration offices on whether Commonwealth citizens applying to register have the right to remain in the United Kingdom; whether electoral registration offices are required to check Commonwealth citizens already registered each time they change address; and what advice the...

Asked by

Lord Laird (Ulster Unionist Party)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Answered on

23 February 2010

For the purposes of registering to vote, a "qualifying Commonwealth citizen" is an individual who either does not need leave to enter and remain in the United Kingdom, or who does need such leave and has it (Section 4(1) and (6) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 ("the 1983 Act")). Regulations made under the 1983 Act (the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001), provide that a person’s application for registration must, among other things, state their nationality and include a declaration that the details given in the application are true. The Electoral Registration Officer has the power to require any person to provide information relating to the eligibility of that applicant, namely regarding their age, nationality, residence and whether or not they are disqualified (Regulation 23). Where an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) has doubts about a person’s nationality or immigration status, the ERO may require the person to provide evidence including a statutory declaration that he or she is a qualifying Commonwealth citizen (Regulation 24). Provision of false information to a registration officer for any purpose connected with the registration of electors is an offence. Where any elector changes address they must make an application for registration at their new address providing details of the address where they were previously registered. The procedure is the same as for other registration, and the Electoral Registration Officer may require the same information to be produced in relation to nationality. In addition, the details of all electors, whether resident in the UK or overseas (except service voters), are verified each year by way of the annual canvass. If the Electoral Registration Officer is not satisfied that a person is eligible to be registered at an address or does not otherwise fulfil conditions for registration, including nationality, then the Electoral Registration Officer may remove that elector from the register. The UK Border Agency has not issued specific advice on this issue. Electoral Commission guidance states that: ""If the Electoral Registration Officer has any doubts about the eligibility of any applicant, they have the power to require any person to provide information relating to the eligibility of that applicant, namely regarding their age, nationality, residence and whether or not they are disqualified.""Additionally, if the Electoral Registration Officer has doubts about the age or nationality of any applicant, they may also require that person to provide evidence demonstrating that they meet either or both of these requirements.""The items which should be accepted by the Electoral Registration Officer as evidence of a person's age or nationality include:""a birth certificate or a statutory declaration stating the applicant's date of birth; and""a certificate of naturalisation a document showing they have become a Commonwealth citizen""a statutory declaration that they are a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a European Union citizen.""

Date

23 February 2010

Reference

2057; 717 c279-80WA

House

House of Lords

Elections: Northern Ireland

To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria govern the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland's practice of requiring sight of Commonwealth citizens' passports when registering for a vote but not the passports of individuals registering from the Republic of Ireland.

Asked by

Lord Laird (Crossbench)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

23 June 2009

Reference

4173; 711 c266WA

House

House of Lords

Amos, Baroness

Which members of the Commonwealth must refer constitutional change to them for ratification; and, in each case, what type of change is involved. [HL 5925].

Asked by

Lord Laird (Crossbench)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

17 October 2002

Reference

639 c69WA; HL 5925

House

House of Lords

Scotland of Asthal, Baroness

What their response would be if the Irish Republic were to apply to rejoin the Commonwealth. [HL 4756].

Asked by

Lord Laird (Crossbench)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

29 November 2000

Reference

619 c144WA; HL 4756

House

House of Lords

Librarians' tools

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House

Session

Year

Department

Member

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Answering member

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