Clause 7 - Failed asylum seekers: withdrawal of support
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill
9:10 am
Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester, Liberal Democrat)
I beg to move amendment No. 88, in
clause 7, page 7, leave out lines 13 and 14.
I was simply going to ask the Minister to explain what subsection (2) means, because there is some confusion about that. I have tried to speak to some of the charities and the various bodies that have lobbied us on the Bill. Subsection (2) reads:
''Paragraph 1 also applies to a dependant of a person to whom that paragraph applies by virtue of sub-paragraph (1).''
Is the purpose of the subsection to exclude the possibility that benefit or support could be given to children? As the Government's intention is to remove the support for the parents, do they want to avoid a loophole that would mean that support could be given directly to children? The family would therefore not suffer because of losing their benefits as the support could be targeted on the children. Is it the intention of the subsection to remove that possibility? I should be grateful if the Minister clarified that point.