§ Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average interval of time between an immigrant's applying for a grant to return to his country of origin and the granting of such application;
(2) how many applications for grants to assist in the repatriation of immigrants were outstanding at the most recent convenient date;
(3) how many applications for grants to assist in the repatriation of immigrants have been made in each of the last five years; and how many were refused;
(4) what are the figures for each of the last five years of the numbers of immigrants given grants to assist them in returning to their country of origin, indicating in each case which these are.
§ Mr. JohnApplications for assistance and the numbers of individuals assisted under Section 29 of the Immigration Act 1971 were as follows:
Financial year Applications made Individuals assisted 1971–72 Not available Nil 1972–73 301 115 1973–74 238 240 1974–75 171 156 1975–76 181 219 April-September 1976 1976 86 59 The average length of time between the initiation of an application and its approval in the last financial year was two and a half months. 151 applications were outstanding on 30th September 1976.
I regret that it is not possible without disproportionate expense to say how many applications in the last five years were refused, were withdrawn or, where assistance was given, to which country a person proceeded and whether it was that person's country of origin, but some information on destination was given in answer to a Question by the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton) on 16th February.—[Vol. 905, c. 522.]