§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision about the immigration case involving Mr. M. B., Home Office reference B431103.
§ Mr. RentonA decision on Mr. B's application to remain here with his wife was made on 27 October. He was given leave to remain until 7 October 1988.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the current delays in interviewing people at the various immigration offices.
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§ Mr. RentonThe available information is given in the table and shows the approximate period of time which has elapsed between the receipt of the file at the immigration office and the interviews currently taking place:
Port Office Entry Clearance Interviews Other Interviews Aberdeen Airport 2 weeks 2 weeks Avonmouth 2 months — Birmingham Airport 6 weeks 6 weeks Cardiff 1 week 2 weeks East Midlands Airport 6 weeks 6 months Edinburgh — 3 months Felixstowe 2 months 2 months Folkestone 6 weeks 6 weeks Gatwick Airport 2 months 1 month Glasgow 2 months 2 months Gravesend 2 months 2 months Hartlepool 2 months 2 months Heathrow (Harmondsworth) Interview Unit 1 month 1 month Intelligence Unit — 6 months Hull 2 months 2 months Leeds/Bradford Airport 2 months 3–4 months Liverpool 4 months 4 months London (Isis House) 6 weeks 6 weeks Luton 2 months 2 months Manchester 3–4 months 3–4 months Middlesbrough 2 months 2 months Newcastle Airport 2 months 2 months North Shields 2 months 2 months Norwich 6 weeks 6 weeks Plymouth 1 month 1 month Sheerness 5 weeks — Southampton — 2 months Stanstead Airport 3 months 3 months Files have not been sent to immigration offices during the peak summer months other than for urgent interviews. Additional staff resources have now been deployed at the ports to deal with the backlog of cases. Variations in waiting times reflect the concentrations of applications in particular areas.