HL Deb 21 July 1997 vol 581 cc140-2WA
The Earl of Haddington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What effect there has been on the processing of applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom following the transfer of casework staff within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to the Document Reception Centre.

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The transfer has resulted in a speedier processing of valid applications both through the provision of comprehensive information to the caseworker and the initiation in May 1997 of a process and "fast track" decision taking there. Under the new system the caseworker who decides on the validity of an application also decides at the same time the merits of the application where possible. As a result, in June, of 5,707 applications passed as valid, 1,417 (25 per cent.) were also decided. Such decisions are therefore taken within days of the application being received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

The Earl of Haddington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they have not implemented a numbering system to give queuing priority to those applicants or persons enquiring at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at Lunar House who are not processed on that day so that they can be given an ordered preference on the next or subsequent day; whether they intend to implement such a system; and, if so, when.

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Public Enquiry Office (PEO) at Lunar House has experienced an increase in callers over the past 12 months of over 20 per cent., which equates to a total of between 850 and over 1,000 callers each day.

The PEO has the accommodation and staffing resources to consider applications for between 650 and 700 callers each day. As a result, a large number of callers cannot get their cases completed on the day of their visit. This also makes it impractical to offer queuing priority to those whose cases cannot be completed on the day of their visit. However, every caller who visits the PEO receives advice on their application and the opportunity to leave their application to be dealt with by post. Alternative facilities are being developed for the quick handling of postal enquiries with the aim of freeing the service to those callers who need it urgently.

The Earl of Haddington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps the Home Office is taking to speed up the processing of applications for further leave to remain by bona-fide foreign businessmen, investors and work-permit holders who need to travel abroad and who cannot do so while the Home Office retains their passports pending approval of their application.

Lord Williams of Mostyn

Through the introduction of team working, additional staff resources from five other groups are now available to assist the processing of applications for further leave to remain by business people and investors. This has already resulted in the delays being reduced from eight months to a current maximum of four months. The position is expected to improve over the coming months. Where it is not possible to resolve an application before a business person needs to travel, a travel extension of three months may be granted if the application is valid and in-time. Work permit holders, whose permission to work has been extended, may have their passports stamped at ports on production of the relevant documentary evidence.

The Earl of Haddington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What effect there has been on the processing of applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom following the closure of some of the Public Enquiry Offices outside London, and the restriction of access given to solicitors, their clerks or agents, bona-fide immigration administration practitioners and members of the public, to the Public Enquiry Office at Lunar House.

Lord Williams of Mostyn

There has been no significant effect on the processing of applications arising from the closure of the limited facilities at Norwich and Harwich. The large increase in callers to the Lunar House Public Enquiry Office—far in excess of the small number of callers who used to use Norwich and Harwich—has necessitated changes aimed at preserving as far as possible the service given to personal callers. A representative may only present one application for a client and the number of representatives dealt with in any day has to be restricted depending on the number of personal callers. Alternative postal services involving "fast track" decision taking are being developed to compensate for restrictions on both representatives and personal callers.