§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2001,Official Report, column 498W, to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (John Cryer), how many applications have been made under the regularisation scheme for overstayers; how many applicants have had their cases decided; how many cases are (a) under consideration and (b) awaiting action; and how many applicants have had their cases refused. [65239]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: A total of 17,120 applications were received for consideration under the Regularisation Scheme for Overstayers. During the last financial year (2001–02) a sift of the cases yielded a total of 1,288 easily identifiable grants under existing policy concessions. During the current financial year significantly more caseworking staff and resources are being devoted to the more detailed
89Wconsideration of the remaining cases. To date 341 further grants have been identified together with 111 refusals. This leaves 15,380 cases to be decided. Of these 10,895 cases are currently awaiting consideration in Integrated Casework Directorate (North). Work is also under way to validate the status of the remaining 4,485 cases, which are currently being dealt with in other areas of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Of all the applications received, 1,629 applications have been granted.
The intention is to complete consideration of all outstanding cases by April 2003.