§ Mr. Hattonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the current position of dependent relatives of immigrants who have the right of settlement in the United Kingdom, awaiting entry clearance at the British Embassy in Islamabad and the British Consulate-General in Karachi; and whether he is satisfied with the present situation.
§ Mr. LuardIn Pakistan there are approximately 14,000 outstanding applications from persons seeking entry clearance for settlement here. Those now being seen have waited approximately 13 months for their interview. Earlier interviews are given to certain categories and in cases where there are strong and exceptional compassionate grounds.
We are doing what we can to speed up the procedures and reduce the waiting times but the number of applications received in Pakistan so far this year is higher than the number for the comparable period of 1975.