New Clause 8 - Children registering as British citizens: fees

Nationality and Borders Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:30 pm on 7 December 2021.

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Votes in this debate

  • Division number 135
    A majority of MPs voted not to cap fees for applications for children to be registered as a British citizen at the cost of processing the application, and to charge no fees for applications for those in, or who have recently left, care.

‘(1) Within two months of this Act being passed, the Secretary of State must amend the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018.

(2) The amendments referred to in subsection (1) must include—

(a) provision to ensure that the fees charged for applications for registration as a British citizen under the British Nationality Act 1981 or the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997, where the person in respect of whom the application is made is a child at the time the application is made, do not exceed the cost to the Home Office of processing the application;

(b) provision to ensure that no fees are charged for applications for registration as a British Citizen under the British Nationality Act 1981 or the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 where the person in respect of whom the application is made—

(i) is a child being looked after by a local authority at the time the application is made; or

(ii) was looked after by a local authority when they were a child, and at the time the application is made is either—

(A) under the age of 21; or

(B) under the age of 25 and in full-time education.

(3) Within six months of this Act being passed, the Secretary of State must lay before Parliament a report setting out the effect of such fees on the human rights of the children applying for registration as British citizens under the British Nationality Act 1981 and the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997.’—(Bell Ribeiro-Addy.)

In respect of children registering as British citizens, this new clause would prevent the Home Office from charging a fee which exceeds the cost of processing the application. It would also abolish such fees altogether for looked-after children until they reach the age of 21 (or 25 if in full-time education), and would require the Government to produce a report setting out the effect of such fees on children’s human rights.

Brought up.

Question put, That the clause be added to the Bill.

Division number 135 Nationality and Borders Bill — New Clause 8 — Children Registering as British Citizens: Fees

A majority of MPs voted not to cap fees for applications for children to be registered as a British citizen at the cost of processing the application, and to charge no fees for applications for those in, or who have recently left, care.

Aye: 236 MPs

No: 323 MPs

Aye: A-Z by last name

Tellers

No: A-Z by last name

Tellers

Absent: 85 MPs

Absent: A-Z by last name

The House divided: Ayes 237, Noes 323.

Question accordingly negatived.