HC Deb 18 May 2004 vol 421 cc858-9W
Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of applications for immigration were accepted in England and Wales were accepted in each year since 1997. [168457]

Mr. Browne

The latest available statistics relating to decisions on applications for an extension of leave to remain or settlement made in the United Kingdom are given in the following table. Corresponding information for England and Wales is not available.

Detailed statistics on immigration control are published in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2002" (Cm 6053), which is available in the Library, the Stationery Office and via the Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hobpubsl.html.

Percentage granted
Category 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Independent means 73.5 69.2 80.8 47.6 57.6 33.3
Business4 83.7 66.1 84.8 93.3 94.4 92.2
Fiancé(e)s 63.3 71.4 76.7 75.5 77.6 77.6
Spouse (probationary year applications)5 92.2 93.4 98.4 95.5 92.6 96.2
Other limited leave 96.4 93.0 95.5 83.1 82.1 83.5
Settlement 95.9 97.3 99.2 97.4 97.1 94.6
Category unknown n/a n/a n/a n/a 84.3
n/a = not applicable.
1 Excludes dependants of principal applicants, asylum related decisions, the outcome of appeals and withdrawn applications.
2 Excludes "in line" dependants and the outcome of appeals.
3 Includes writers and artists.
4 Includes investors and innovators.
5 Data include unmarried partners.
Note:
Data rounded to the nearest 5.