§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have applied to the post in Dusseldorf for visas to visit the United Kingdom during 1989 to date; what were the figures for the comparable periods of 1988 and 1987; what were the total numbers of applicants by nationality; what were the total numbers of applications(a) granted and (b) refused; and what was the average waiting time for interview for each month in each year.
§ Mr. Eggar[holding answer 13 June 1989]: The consulate-general in Dusseldorf received 5,380 entry 294W clearance applications in the period January to May 1989. Applications in the same period in 1988 and 1987 were 5,300 and 4,858. Details of nationality are not kept. The total number of entry clearances (including visas for dependent territories) issued and refused are:
Issued Refused 1987 9,892 82 1988 11,890 156 11989 4,265 66 1 January to May. The average waiting times, in weeks, for the minority requiring interview for each month in 1987, 1988 and 1989 to date were:
1987 1988 1989 January 8.0 8.0 17 February 7.0 9.0 19 March 6.0 8.0 21 April 4.0 7.0 23 May 2.0 5.0 21 June 4.5 4.0 — July 6.0 4.5 — August 8.0 7.0 — September 10.0 9.0 — Octomber 8.0 12.0 — November 9.0 16.0 — December 9.0 17.0 — The rise in applications recorded in 1988 resulted in a backlog of paperwork related to those applications which attracted either refusal or further inquiries. From the autumn, staff were diverted to deal with it. They have now been redeployed to increase the number of interviews and thus reduce the waiting time.