§ Mr. Jim MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the working of the system for the issue of entry certificates for visitors to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe system for the issue of entry clearances for visitors to the United Kingdom is constantly reviewed.
The latest list of posts overseas designated to issue entry clearances will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House. In 1993, a total of 957,000 visit applications were received: 863,000, or 90 per cent. were issued, 60,000, or 6.3 per cent. were refused and 34,000, or 3.7 per cent. were deferred/referred to the Home Office. Further statistics are available in the FCO departmental report 1994.
In December 1993, Lady Anson JP DL was appointed as the first independent monitor of visit visa refusals. Her annual reports will be laid before Parliament.