HC Deb 17 July 1989 vol 157 cc4-5W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the current waiting times both actual and estimated, and the numbers awaiting interview abroad for the following queues:(a) persons with a claim to the right of abode, dependent relatives over 70 years, special compassionate cases, (b) all spouses and all children under 18, (c) fiancées applying for the first time and (d) re-applicants for the following posts: (i) New Delhi, (ii) Bombay, (iii) Dhaka, (iv) Islamabad, (v) Karachi, (vi) Nairobi and (vii) Dar Es-Salaam.

Mr. Eggar

As at 31 May 1989 waiting times (in months) to first interview at posts in the Indian sub-continent were as follows:

Waiting times in months
Post Queue Actual Estimated
New Delhi 1 0 0
2 4 4
3 5 6
4 8 9
Bombay 1 2 2
2 6 6
3 9 9
4 10 10
Dhaka 1 3 3
2 6 6
3 6 6
4 22 22
Islamabad 1 3 3
2 10 10
3 16 16
4 22 22
Karachi 1 1 1
2 2 2
3 2 2
4 6 6

Settlement queues are organised as follows:

Q1 Persons with a claim to the right of abode, dependent relatives over 70 years, special compassionate cases.
Q2 All spouses, and all children under 18 years.
Q3 Fiancé(e)s and others applying for the first time for settlement.
Q4 Re-applicants.

Posts in Nairobi and Dar Es-Salaam do not operate a queue system along the lines of Indian subcontinent posts. Current waiting times to first interview for all types of settlement applications are:

Weeks
Dar Es-Salaam 5
Nairobi 4