(1) How many visas have been issued to visitors from Saudi Arabia each year over the last 10 years.

(2) How many of those visas have been issued to individuals who expressed an intention to teach religious studies in Australia.

(3) Have any visas been denied to such individuals; if so, on what grounds.

(4) Were any of the applicants for visas known to be supporters or teachers of extreme Wahabi-ist, al-Qaeda, or JI doctrines; if not, were any background checks done to establish this.

(5) Is he able to say for how many Muslim (a) institutions and (b) religious schools in Australia the Saudi Government provides funding.

(6) Is he able to say what conditions are attached to the funding; if so do any of the conditions relate to the content of the teaching.

(7) Is he aware of any Australian Islamic Schools that receive Saudi funding and that mandate the teaching of the radical Wahabi-ist, al-Qaeda, or JI, doctrines rather than other moderate forms of Islam.

(8) Is he aware of any teachers who have received visas and who teach radical Wahabi-ist, al-Qaeda doctrine in Australia.

(1) Detailed records of persons granted Visitor visas by citizenship prior to 1996-97 are not readily available.

Since 1996-97 to 30 September 2002, 8,237 persons from Saudi Arabia have been granted Visitor visas. The breakdown by program year is as follows:

(2) Since 1996-97, religious worker visas (subclass 428) have been granted to two persons from Saudi Arabia. The religious worker visa is granted to applicants who are sponsored by a religious organisation in Australia that directly serves the religious objectives of the organisation. The role undertaken by such visa holders may involve teaching or more of a pastoral care role.

(3) Data on this is not readily available.

(4) Persons who apply for visas to enter Australia as religious workers are required to provide information on their backgrounds and skills relating to the approved sponsorship. This information is checked and confirmed prior to a visa being granted.

All applicants are required to meet public interest criteria, which includes being assessed by the competent Australian authorities as not being a risk to Australian national security.

On the basis of information provided and background checks conducted, my Department is not aware of any of these applicants being known to be supporters or teachers of extreme Wahabi-ist, al-Qaeda, or JI doctrines.

(5) Information on this matter is not generally held by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).

(6) Information on this matter is not generally held by DIMIA.

(7) Information on this matter is not generally held by DIMIA.

(8) No.