asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will remit or minimise visa fees for Belarusian children suffering from the after-effects of the Chernobyl disaster who wish to visit Britain for holidays or treatment; and whether such visits have ceased since September of this year. [HL758]

We appreciate the important work being undertaken by United Kingdom charities to provide respite care and medical treatment for children affected by the Chernobyl disaster. UKvisas held a stakeholder meeting with some of the charities at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December. We look forward to working with the charities in partnership as this important care continues. Up to 4,000 visas a year are issued to children travelling to the United Kingdom from Belarus under the auspices of the Chernobyl charities and these visas are all issued gratis. There are no plans to change this arrangement.

Visits under the charity schemes have slowed considerably during the autumn, but charities inform us that they will shortly be submitting applications for travel during the Christmas holiday period.