Clause 46
Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [Lords]
3:00 pm
Phil Woolas (Minister of State (the North West), Home Office; Oldham East and Saddleworth, Labour)
It is a great shame that the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington has left the room, because these changes were brought about in the other place because of his arguments. [Interruption.] No, do not tell him, Sir Nicholas. We concur with the other place, again, on this point about descent through the female line, and we accept that we should right that wrong.
The change essentially brings into line the position of a certain category of person covered by the British Nationality Act 1981, whose citizenship has been passed on. At the moment there is a cut-off date of 1961, but we are righting that wrong. In short, at the moment, if one had two daughters who were born in 1959 and 1962 respectively, the younger one would have rights and the elder would not, so we are putting that right on advice from the other place.