To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for deciding to publish the Race Equality Impact Assessment relating to the changes in the Immigration Rules for Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists after these rule changes had come into effect. (149577)

The Race Equality Impact Assessment relating to the changes in the Immigration Rules for Postgraduate Doctors and Dentists was published following a request from the Commission for Racial Equality in July 2006. We acknowledged at that time that the assessment ought to have been completed before the rules change took place. Our position on this matter has been addressed in the judicial review proceedings brought by BAPIO Action Limited. The judgment handed down on 9 February 2007 can be found at:

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2007/199.html.