The SNP has used Prime Minister's Questions to call on the UK Government to stop the deportation of a family living in the Highlands.

The Brain family are facing deportation from Scotland after not meeting the requirements of a tier two visa.

The family originally came to Scotland from Australia on an earlier immigration scheme which has since been disbanded. Their son, Lachlan, has been placed in Gaelic education and therefore has Gaelic as his primary language.

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson raised the case to the Chancellor George Osborne who was standing in for the Prime Minister who is in Japan.

Robertson asked: "Lachlan Brain is seven years old and he attends the Gaelic medium primary school in Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands. Next week, as the Home Secretary is currently briefing him, the Home department plans to deport him and his family despite the fact that he arrived as a Scottish Government initiative, backed by the Home Office - to attract people live and work in the region.

"This case has been front page news in Scotland and been repeatedly raised in the House. What does the Chancellor have to say to the Brain family and to the community who want them to stay?"

The Chancellor said that his understanding is that the family "do not meet the immigration criteria" but the Home Secretary would be "very happy" to write to Robertson detailing the case.

The SNP MP however said the response was "frankly not good enough".

He continued: "The problem in the Highlands of Scotland is not immigration, it has been emigration. So even at this late, knowing nothing about it, will the Chancellor speak to the Home Secretary, speak to the Prime Minister and get this sorted out?"

George Osborne said that if it was the intention of the SNP to attract people to live in the Highlands they ought to use their tax power to create an "entrepreneurial zone".

Osborne said: "Can I make a suggestion to the Scottish Nationalist Party? They now have very substantial tax and enterprise powers and if they want to attract people to the Highlands of Scotland why don't they create an entrepreneurial Scotland that people want to move to from the rest of the United Kingdom."

The family's case was raised again by Glasgow North MP Patrick Grady.

After Prime Minister's Questions had ended the family's local MP Ian Blackford raised a point of order as he was "concerned about the timeliness of a letter" as the family are set to be removed from the country on May 31.