Draft Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/1055). Lords debate on a motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Grand Committee held in the Moses Room.

Draft Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/1055). Lords debate on a motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Grand Committee held in the Moses Room.

My Lords, I am confident that the analysis is robust. I think it best that I write to the noble Lord with the exact situation, but it is quite a complicated analysis. The Committee should be assured that the brightest and the best will continue to be welcomed to the...

My Lords, I am confident that the analysis is robust. I think it best that I write to the noble Lord with the exact situation, but it is quite a complicated analysis. The Committee should be assured that the brightest and the best will continue to be welcomed to the...

I apologise for asking the noble Lord, but my confusion is that in the table at the bottom of page 13 under the cost benefit analysis it says that: "““Benefits … Revenue raised from fee changes for those who continue to apply (PV)””" is £24.1 million. However, over the page...

I apologise for asking the noble Lord, but my confusion is that in the table at the bottom of page 13 under the cost benefit analysis it says that: "““Benefits … Revenue raised from fee changes for those who continue to apply (PV)””" is £24.1 million. However, over the page...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for the considered debate given to these regulations. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for his comments about the Merits Committee reports. I am sure he is right. I will write on any vital points I do not cover in...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for the considered debate given to these regulations. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for his comments about the Merits Committee reports. I am sure he is right. I will write on any vital points I do not cover in...

My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Earl for his introduction and detailed and helpful explanation, and for agreeing to answer questions not necessarily confined to this order. As he said, the fees contained in the order are set in the context of the Immigration and Nationality (Fees)...

My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Earl for his introduction and detailed and helpful explanation, and for agreeing to answer questions not necessarily confined to this order. As he said, the fees contained in the order are set in the context of the Immigration and Nationality (Fees)...

My Lords, there might be a small effect, but when one considers how much people will pay—thousands—to gain illegal entry to this country, the cost of a legal visa is relatively small. We believe that our fees compare favourably with those of key competitor countries and offer good value, particularly...

My Lords, there might be a small effect, but when one considers how much people will pay—thousands—to gain illegal entry to this country, the cost of a legal visa is relatively small. We believe that our fees compare favourably with those of key competitor countries and offer good value, particularly...

My Lords, that point was very helpful. Does the noble Earl accept that if costs go up—and the general trend is that UK fees are going up—although it is difficult to equate like for like exactly, there might be a knock-on impact on British businesses trading abroad because if fees...

My Lords, that point was very helpful. Does the noble Earl accept that if costs go up—and the general trend is that UK fees are going up—although it is difficult to equate like for like exactly, there might be a knock-on impact on British businesses trading abroad because if fees...

My Lords, I beg to move that the Committee has considered the draft Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011. As your Lordships will recall, I came to the Committee on 7 February and subsequently obtained approval to charge for visa, immigration and nationality services under the Immigration and Nationality (Fees)...

My Lords, I beg to move that the Committee has considered the draft Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011. As your Lordships will recall, I came to the Committee on 7 February and subsequently obtained approval to charge for visa, immigration and nationality services under the Immigration and Nationality (Fees)...

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Attlee, for his careful explanation of the order that is front of us. This order is drawn to the special attention of the House by the Merits Committee, but it does not say what is unusual about the order...

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Attlee, for his careful explanation of the order that is front of us. This order is drawn to the special attention of the House by the Merits Committee, but it does not say what is unusual about the order...

That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011. Relevant document: 18th Report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments.

That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011. Relevant document: 18th Report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments.

That is exactly what I thought the noble Baroness was saying, and exactly where we are on the horns of a dilemma. As soon as anyone comes up with a bright idea such as saying, "Learn English", other people say that that is discriminatory. We cannot have it both ways,...

That is exactly what I thought the noble Baroness was saying, and exactly where we are on the horns of a dilemma. As soon as anyone comes up with a bright idea such as saying, "Learn English", other people say that that is discriminatory. We cannot have it both ways,...

I was in some embarrassment on the previous debate, because I was not here for its opening and I take the procedures of the House seriously. Therefore, I did not feel that I could participate, but was frustrated because I feel strongly on the wider issue. The Committee may have...

I was in some embarrassment on the previous debate, because I was not here for its opening and I take the procedures of the House seriously. Therefore, I did not feel that I could participate, but was frustrated because I feel strongly on the wider issue. The Committee may have...

I give qualified support to Amendment 83. First, though, let me say that the concluding points of the contribution of my noble friend Lord Lea of Crondall are well understood and supported. After all, many trade unions started their existence as friendly societies, not merely confined to representation at work...

I give qualified support to Amendment 83. First, though, let me say that the concluding points of the contribution of my noble friend Lord Lea of Crondall are well understood and supported. After all, many trade unions started their existence as friendly societies, not merely confined to representation at work...

It strikes me that I should have declared an interest when I spoke on the earlier amendment, so let me do so now. I was chief executive of a student volunteering body, Students Partnership Worldwide, and saw volunteering right up close. It seems that there is a rather romanticised view...

It strikes me that I should have declared an interest when I spoke on the earlier amendment, so let me do so now. I was chief executive of a student volunteering body, Students Partnership Worldwide, and saw volunteering right up close. It seems that there is a rather romanticised view...

I have already asked, at an earlier stage of the Committee, the question posed by UNISON, to which the Minister nodded his emphatic agreement. I assume, then, that the Government already agree to that which the noble Lord, Lord Lea of Crondall, asks for. However, I am standing up now...

I have already asked, at an earlier stage of the Committee, the question posed by UNISON, to which the Minister nodded his emphatic agreement. I assume, then, that the Government already agree to that which the noble Lord, Lord Lea of Crondall, asks for. However, I am standing up now...

I fear that the noble Lord, Lord Judd, did not grasp the content of what I said in my earlier intervention on the relevant amendments, because I was being extremely cautious. Perhaps I may answer his question very directly. You may have a perverse outcome, and you may go down...

I fear that the noble Lord, Lord Judd, did not grasp the content of what I said in my earlier intervention on the relevant amendments, because I was being extremely cautious. Perhaps I may answer his question very directly. You may have a perverse outcome, and you may go down...

The noble Baroness makes some important points. Does she not agree that there is even the danger that the proposal, far from encouraging sincere commitment and integrity in the forthcoming role of citizenship, may encourage falsehood, because somebody may espouse a cause not because they believe in it at all...

The noble Baroness makes some important points. Does she not agree that there is even the danger that the proposal, far from encouraging sincere commitment and integrity in the forthcoming role of citizenship, may encourage falsehood, because somebody may espouse a cause not because they believe in it at all...

With opposing views expressed, I hope to be able satisfy everybody. I should explain first that my enthusiastic nodding represented not necessarily government policy but the experience of someone who has spent most of his life in the trade union movement, a lot of it as a full-time officer and...

With opposing views expressed, I hope to be able satisfy everybody. I should explain first that my enthusiastic nodding represented not necessarily government policy but the experience of someone who has spent most of his life in the trade union movement, a lot of it as a full-time officer and...

I know that my noble friend is trying to answer the points, but would he not agree that there is a credibility problem here? For the person applying for citizenship, where is the evidence that any of the people who will be handling his application have ever undertaken voluntary community...

I know that my noble friend is trying to answer the points, but would he not agree that there is a credibility problem here? For the person applying for citizenship, where is the evidence that any of the people who will be handling his application have ever undertaken voluntary community...

During the hour and a half that we spent discussing the previous group of amendments, we identified and talked through this issue, recognised that it is work in progress and gave assurances that it will come to law only after noble Lords have had the opportunity to judge and make...

During the hour and a half that we spent discussing the previous group of amendments, we identified and talked through this issue, recognised that it is work in progress and gave assurances that it will come to law only after noble Lords have had the opportunity to judge and make...