My Lords, I have no wish to delay the House at this late hour, but this is an important provision on which I am seeking assurances from my noble friend the Minister.
The purpose of my amendment is to ensure that any visa provisions in future trade agreements can come into effect only if they are approved by both Houses of Parliament. The need for this has arisen because of reports that the Secretary of State for International Trade plans to grant visas in trade agreements; for example, to Indian nationals as part of the proposed trade agreement with India. As I remember from earlier discussions on trade with India, with which I was involved some years ago, this is what that Government have always wanted.
I am uneasy about this. Visas, whether for study or anything else, are a matter for nationality law, not for trade agreements, and would need to be separately approved, as I have proposed. In the absence of assurances, I will want to return to the matter on Report. I beg to move.