HC Deb 10 July 2001 vol 371 cc503-4W
Simon Hughes

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many family visitor appeals the Immigration Appellate Authority plans to deal with(a) at an oral hearing and (b) on the papers only in the financial years (i) 2001–02 and (ii) 2002–03. [3310]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The Immigration Appellate Authority expects to deal with approximately 8,860 family visit visa appeals during 2001–02 and 10,000 such cases in 2002–03.

Of these numbers, 60 per cent. of cases are expected to be for oral hearing and 40 per cent. for determination on the papers alone.

Simon Hughes

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) oral and (b) paper-only family visitor appeals have been received by the Immigration Appellate Authority since 2 October 2000 in which (i) the Immigration Advisory Service and (ii) a Citizens Advice Bureau has been identified as representing the applicant. [3311]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The Immigration Appellate Authority has identified 145 cases received between 2 October 2000 and 30 June 2001 in which the Immigration Advisory Service represented the appellant at the adjudicator tier. Of this number, 124 were for an oral hearing and 21 for paper alone.

A Citizens Advice Bureau has been identified as representing the appellant in one oral hearing over the same period.

Simon Hughes

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) oral and (b) paper-only family visitor appeals have been received by the Immigration Appellate Authority since 2 October 2000 in which (i) a solicitor or barrister and (ii) nobody has been identified as representing the applicant. [3312]

Ms Rosie Winterton

All 1,807 family visitor cases received by the Immigration Appellate Authority record that the appellant has been represented. Of this number, 820 of cases were for oral hearing and 987 for determination on the papers alone. It is not possible to provide a breakdown between solicitor or barrister representation without incurring disproportionate cost.

Simon Hughes

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average time taken by the Immigration Appellate Authority to process, from receipt to determination(a) oral family visitor appeals, (b) paper-only family visitor appeals, (c) asylum appeals and (d) other immigration appeals. [3314]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The current average times, for this business year, by the Immigration Appellate Authority to process cases from receipt to determination, are:

  1. (a) 6.63 weeks for oral family visitor appeals
  2. (b) 3.66 weeks for paper only family visitor appeals
  3. (c) 21.79 weeks for asylum appeals
  4. (d) 19.6 weeks for other immigration appeals.