§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are available at the British post in Dusseldorf to interview those applying for visas to visit the United Kingdom; and whether he proposes to increase staffing at the post to reduce current waiting times for interview.
§ Mr. EggarThe consulate-general at Dusseldorf normally has four entry clearance officers, of whom three are used to conduct interviews and one to deal with postal applications. In addition, two relief entry clearance officers have recently arrived to assist with the normal increase in applications during the summer months and the expected demand for visas from Turkish nationals resident in the Federal Republic. It is known that the posts are under considerable pressure and the question of deploying further entry clearance staff at Dusseldorf is being kept under review.