UK Borders Bill

I thought that I had dealt with the short-term visitor issue, which the noble Lord, Lord Hylton, raised. For the avoidance of doubt, visa nationals coming for a short visit, currently up to six months, will not require a BID as the visa itself will suffice. That is a six-month period, which is fairly lengthy. I cannot believe that this will have a serious impact on the tourist industry. We have made a lot of improvements over recent years on processing visas. It is timely and quick, and it is one of the fastest large-scale visa-issuing operations in the world. Over 90 per cent of all straightforward visas are issued within 24 hours. That compares extremely favourably with all other visa-issuing authorities; it is one of the best. I want to make the point about refugee status clear. When a recognised refugee is granted leave and is issued with a BID for the first time, they will not be charged. They may be charged when that BID is later renewed, when it expires after 10 years. There is not going to be the problem that the noble Lord envisaged. On the point about UK universities, I expect that we would consult them in any event. We consult them in detail about students, and they do not always agree with us, but we go through that process. As I understand it, our rates are very competitive internationally, which is one reason why we continue to be one of the favoured destinations for students across the world who come to study out of their home country.