asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation have been refused in each of the last three years; and if he will list his most common reasons for refusal.

For 1976, 1977 and 1978, refusals were respectively 450, 343 and 222. The most common reasons for refusal are that the applicant has not been resident for the statutory period, that he is unable to comply with the statutory requirements as to intentions about future residence, that the husband or wife of the applicant is resident abroad, that restrictions are still attached to his stay here, that his knowledge of English is inadequate or that he has unspent criminal convictions of a serious nature.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reasons are divulged to people seeking naturalisation if their applications are refused.

Section 26 of the British Nationality Act 1948 expressly relieves the Secretary of State of any obligation to give reasons for the grant or refusal of an application for naturalisation. But in practice an unsuccessful applicant may, in certain circumstances, be given the reason for refusal, for example if he has not been resident for the statutory period or if his knowledge of English is not adequate.