Hong Kong Military Veterans: Settlement Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Home Office
Lord Hay of Ballyore
Main Page: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Hay of Ballyore's debates with the Home Office
Hong Kong Military Veterans: Settlement
Lord Hay of Ballyore Excerpts(1 year, 7 months ago)
Lords ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con)
My noble friend makes a very good point. Yes, absolutely.
Lord Hay of Ballyore (DUP)
My Lords, I will raise an issue that I think was raised when I was at school too. Does the Home Office have any plans to address the long-standing issue that exists whereby UK residents, voters and taxpayers born in the Irish Republic who have lived for many years in Northern Ireland and made it their home do not have an automatic right to a British passport without going through a long and winding process, including paying a substantial fee of £1,300? This was first raised in the other House in 1985. The Government seem reluctant to deal with this issue.
Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con)
My Lords, obviously, this goes widely beyond the remit of the Question, so I am afraid that I am unable to answer the noble Lord, but I will make sure that he is written to.