§ Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality have been outstanding for(a) more than one year, (b) more than two years and (c) more than three years.
§ Mr. Charles WardleOn 31 May 1994, there were 11,388 applications for British citizenship in the nationality division which had been outstanding for more than one year, of which 2,915 had been outstanding for more than two years, including 818 for more than three years.
§ Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time taken to process applications for British nationality; and what were the average times taken in 1979, 1984 and 1989.
§ Mr. Charles WardleAverage waiting times for certificates of British citizenship issued in May 1994 were 15 months for naturalisations and 11 months for registrations; and in May 1989, 22 and 18 months respectively. Comparable figures for 1984 and 1979 are not available, but average waiting times for the first quarter of 1985—calculated on a different basis—were 13 and 11 months, and for 1979, 25 months for naturalisations.