Overview

The Crown Employment (Nationality) Bill aims to remove existing restrictions on nationality for people working for the UK government, while allowing the government to create new, specific nationality requirements for certain roles.

Description

This bill makes several key changes to the laws governing nationality requirements for Crown employment:

• Removal of Existing Restrictions: It removes existing laws (Sections 3 of the Act of Settlement and Section 6 of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919) that prevent non-UK citizens from holding certain government positions.
• Power to Impose New Requirements: It grants the power to introduce new nationality rules for specific government jobs or job categories. This power is given to a Minister of the Crown and the rules are subject to parliamentary annulment.
• Connected Persons: The bill extends nationality rules to those connected to a government employee, such as parents, spouses, or partners. Exceptions can be made where the connected person has or had substantial ties with the UK.
• Exemptions: It allows for exemptions to these rules, particularly for individuals already employed in a position before a specified date and also gives the power for case-by-case exemptions to be granted by certain government officials.
• Repeals: The bill repeals several older acts and orders related to nationality requirements in government employment including the Aliens’ Employment Act 1955 and the European Communities (Employment in the Civil Service) Orders 1991 and 2007.

Government Spending

The bill's direct impact on government spending is not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, depending on the implementation of new nationality requirements, there might be costs associated with rule-making, exemption processes, and potentially legal challenges. The overall effect on spending is difficult to determine without further information.

Groups Affected

• Non-UK citizens seeking UK government employment: This bill could significantly impact their chances of employment, both positively (by removing general restrictions) and negatively (through the introduction of new, specific requirements).
• UK government departments and agencies: They will be responsible for implementing any new nationality rules and managing exemption processes.
• Individuals connected to government employees: The extension of rules to connected individuals may affect their lives if they lack UK ties.
• Parliament: Parliament retains oversight via the ability to annul the statutory instruments containing the new rules.

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