§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the average time taken to process applications to his Department on(a) Form ELR, (b) Form FLR (m), (c) Form FLR (s), (d) Form FLR (o), (e) Form SET (m), (f) Form SET (f), (g) Form SET (o), (h) Form AN and (i) travel document applications. [52779]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe average time taken to process postal applications received by staff in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's caseworking groups for further, indefinite and exceptional leave to remain (excluding refugees) is:
- ELR: 147 days
- FLR(M): 240 days
- FLR(S): 111 days
- FLR(O): 116 days
- SET(M): 119 days
- SET(F): 177 days
- SET(0): 150 days.
In the second quarter of 1998, these types of case amounted to 46 per cent. of all decisions.
In the same period, a further 30 per cent. of decisions were dealt with by the Public Inquiry Office, which resolves over 90 per cent. of inquiries and applications on the same day, and a further 24 per cent. of decisions on postal applications were dealt with under the fast track procedures introduced last year for applications identified as straightforward. In the first six months of 1998, these procedures enabled cases to be processed within three days of receipt.
395WSettlement applications are also made by refugees, using the form SET(0). The average time taken to deal with these applications is two weeks.
The average time taken to process an application for a travel document is between 12 and 14 weeks.
The average time taken to process an application for naturalisation using the form AN is 19.8 months.
§ Ms RyanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants refused British nationality have been detained prior to removal since 1 January. [53329]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienNo one would be detained on the sole ground that they had been refused British nationality. It is possible that someone detained as an illegal entrant or deportee might also have been refused British nationality, but we have no records to determine this.