asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the change in the numbers entering the United Kingdom as a result of the amendments to the immigration rules which he is introducing to comply with the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.

It is not possible to make an accurate assessment. It is estimated that the change by which husbands and fiances are to be allowed to join women who are permanently resident here but are not British citizens would, taken alone, lead to about 600 more men from the Indian sub-continent being admitted a year for residence and about a further 1,500 from other parts of the world.The other changes are likely to lead to a reduction in the numbers admitted but I cannot say by how much.