§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he estimates to be (a) the average and (b) the maximum distances which visa applicants from the Indian state of Gujerat will have to travel in order to attend at the nearest British consulate.
§ Mr. EggarThe maximum distance to the deputy high commission in Bombay from any part of the state of Gujerat is approximately 875 kms. The average distance travelled by visa applicants is not known and could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what delay he anticipates will be incurred by people from the Indian state of Gujerat seeking to visit relatives in the United Kingdom as a result of the introduction of a visa system.
§ Mr. EggarProcedures for the issue of entry clearance have been streamlined and additional entry clearance officers have been sent to Bombay. It is hoped that any delay will normally be well within the period which most 973W people spend planning international travel. Intending applicants are advised to apply as far in advance as possible.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs wha he estimates will be the cost to Her Majesty's Government of installing additional visa officers or other immigration personnel in India, including their cost of passage and accommodation.
§ Mr. EggarI refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 21 October. The recurrent costs, which include cost of passage and accommodation, of installing additional visa officers or other immigration personnel in India are estimated to be £3.1 million in 1987–88.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many new visa officers or other immigration officials he anticipates will have to be sent to India in order to deal with visa applications in that country.
§ Mr. EggarTwelve additional entry clearance officers are being sent to India. They will be joined by relief entry clearance officers, as necessary, during the seasonal peaks.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa officers or other immigration officials he intends to station in the Indian state of Gujerat.
§ Mr. EggarNone. The nearest entry clearance issuing post will be the British deputy high commission at Bombay.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visitors are estimated to have come to the United Kingdom from the Indian state of Gujerat during the last year for which records are available.
§ Mr. EggarThe information is not available as statistics are maintained by country of origin only.
§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report in tabular form the names of all those countries which require British citizens to provide an entry visa for the purpose of making a visit.
§ Mr. EggarI refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman) on 21 October.
§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many additional staff, dealing with visa applications, were at each post in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan on 14 October.
§ Mr. EggarI refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman) on 21 October. Of the three additional staff concerned, two were in Karachi and one in Dhaka.
§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of' State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for visas have been received in Colombo since the scheme was introduced; and how many have been (a) granted and (b) refused and how many appeals against refusal have been (i) lodged, (ii) granted and (iii) turned down.
§ Mr. EggarThe information requested is given in the following table:974W
31 May 1985—16 October 1986 Visa applications Received 13,698 Granted 12,173 Refused 1,130 Appeals Lodged 458 Withdrawn 25 Allowed 36 Dismissed 71
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the visa requirements of individual Commonwealth countries as they affect the citizens of other countries within the Commonwealth.
§ Mr. EggarI regret the information requested is not held by this Department and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the average amount of time it will take for applications for visitors' visas to be finalised in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarThe waiting time from first application to decision varies from case to case. But, depending on the numbers applying, visit applications are normally finalised on the same day that they are received, unless further inquiries need to be made.