European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill — New Clause 18 — Fee Levels and Exemptions — Limitations on Fees — 7 Jan 2020 at 20:15

The majority of MPs voted against limiting the fees charged to European Union citizens and certain others registering as a citizen of the United Kingdom.

MPs were considering the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill^[1].

The proposed new clause rejected in this vote was titled: Fee Levels and Exemptions and stated:

• ‘(1) No person to whom regulations under section 7(1) (as qualified by section 7(2) and 7(3)) apply may be charged a fee to register as a British citizen that is higher than the cost to the Secretary of State of exercising the function of registration.
• (2) No child of a person to whom subsection (1) applies may be charged a fee to register as a British citizen if that child is receiving the assistance of a local authority.
• (3) No child of a person to whom subsection (1) applies may be charged a fee to register as a British citizen that the child or the child’s parent, guardian or carer is unable to afford.
• (4) The Secretary of State must take steps to raise awareness of people to whom this section applies of their rights under the British Nationality Act 1981 to register as British citizens.
• (5) A Minister of the Crown may amend, waive or restrict any requirement of any other person to pay a fee to register as a British citizen where the Secretary of State considers it appropriate or necessary to do so in consequence of any discrimination between people of, or children of people of, differing nationality or other status.”

The rejected new clause was accompanied by the following explanatory statement from its proposer:

• This new clause would ensure that persons entitled to benefit from the citizens’ rights protections in the Bill did not miss out on registering as a citizen of the UK because of the level of fee currently charged.
• [1] Parliament's webpage on the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill. Parliament.uk website

Debate in Parliament |