Clause 43 - Fees
Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill
6:45 pm
Evan Harris (Science, Non-Departmental & Cross Departmental Responsibilities; Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
Clearly, that is correct. As soon as I heard the amendment being called, I saw the new list and it became clear that this is what we do. I have no problem with that.
There is a debate to be had about fees, but I am concerned, given people’s wish to make progress, about how far we can go into that without coming back at half-past 8 unnecessarily—or necessarily—for only a short time.
Therefore, I will launch straight into an explanation of amendment No. 132. It proposes to leave out subsection (2)(c), which states:
“the provision on request of advice in connection with immigration or nationality, or”.
Leaving that provision out would simply preserve the current situation, whereby the Home Office does not officially give advice to individuals and does not charge for that advice—the advice that it does not officially give. Its telephone inquiry bureau and public caller officers may give information about the rules and evidence required but we would all accept that it is wholly inappropriate for them to advise on whether to make an application. On that basis, if it is inappropriate for the Home Office to give advice as a party to an application or appeal, it must be wrong for it to charge for it.