UK Borders Bill

I support my noble friend’s amendment. What is the basis for the increase from £350 to £750? It is an increase of more than 100 per cent. Why is it so much above the rate of inflation? Are the Government taking into consideration the fact that those who are applying are from poor areas and from countries that have very low incomes? We understand that 30 per cent of applicants are African and 25 per cent are Asian. For those people, £750 is often far beyond what they can be expected to pay. Is this not going to restrict applications from poorer people? When we recently debated the Bill in the House, I quoted the words on the Statute of Liberty: "““Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free””." I said that these are people whom we would have welcomed, and the United States would have welcomed, a century ago, but now we are closing the door. The poor, the tired, the huddled masses cannot afford fees of this sort. What is the justification for this large jump in the amount payable? I know from experience that a fee of £750 is £200 more than the monthly basic state pension in the United Kingdom. How much do the Government hope to realise from this large increase? Are Home Office accounts subject to strict audit? I am sure they are. Is the Audit Commission involved in any way? Is there an independent inspectorate that says, ““Yes, this jump from £350 to £750 is justified””? I am very suspicious of the financing of the Home Office at present. People probably think that I am very boring on this subject. There are to be 69 passport personal interview offices, of which three—I am glad that the figure is now three: Newport, Belfast and Glasgow—are active. Last week I received a Written Answer from the noble Lord, Lord West, in reply to a Question on the cost of the 69 passport personal interview centres. I was absolutely astonished. The cost is £69 million—£1 million per office. However, as only three offices are currently active, the cost per office is much higher. Are the Government satisfied that their bookkeeping is of the highest order? Today we are talking of an increase from £350 to £750. That was not simply decided by the Minister; it was worked out. We must realise that the very poorest could never meet that amount.