§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the figures for the first six months of 1984 for (a) the number of persons with applications for refugee status or political asylum in the 592W United Kingdom outstanding at the start of the year, (b) the number of such applicants submitting applications during the six-month period and (c) the number of such applications under (a) and (b) granted during the period with reference to (i) all applicants and (ii) those with Sri Lankan nationality.
§ Mr. WaddingtonOn 1 January 1984 there were nearly 3,000 applications for refugee status and asylum recorded as outstanding. Some 1,400 further applications were received during the first six months of 1984. In the first six months of the year 321 applications were granted refugee status or asylum (including one Sri Lankan national); in addition, 427 applicants refused asylum were granted exceptional leave to enter or remain (including 11 Sri Lankan nationals). The recording of applications has recently been transferred from a manual to a computerised system, and the transfer has brought to light errors over the last five years in the manual recording particularly in regard to the number of cases shown as outstanding which have up to now been understated.