Lord Chelwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they' have taken, with what success, to reduce the delays of three months and more for Poles in Poland wanting visa applications forwarded to the Home Office, and if they will make a statement.
§ Lord BelsteadA requirement that all Polish visa applicants should be interviewed was introduced soon after the introduction of martial law. This requirement, together with a subsequent relaxation of travel restrictions by the Polish authorities, has led to a backlog of applications. To reduce this backlog, five extra staff have been posted to Warsaw and it has been agreed that certain applicants need no longer be interviewed. It is hoped this will result in considerable improvement in the time taken to process visa applications.