§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications have been made to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad in the last three years, to date, by applicants from Mirpur for(a) visits to and (b) settlement in the United Kingdom; and how much time on average entry clearance officers in Islamabad have allocated to interview applicants applying for (c) visits to and (d) settlement in the United Kingdom. [19986]
§ Mr. BaldryAs Islamabad does not record visa applications by locality the information requested in parts(a) and (b) of the question could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The proportion of ECOs' time allocated to settlement and non-settlement interviewing is subject to fluctuations but, on average, the respective proportions are 30 per cent. and 40 per cent. The remaining 30 per cent. is spent on related work—writing explanatory statements, making local enquiries and so on.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of improved standards of customer service applicants from Mirpur in Pakistan for visas to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad for(a) visits to and (b) settlement in the United Kingdom from establishing temporary facilities for checking application forms and documentation by entry clearance officers being available for parts of each year in Mirpur; what enquiries have been made of the Government of Azad Kashmir about the availability of suitable offices; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryI have asked the high commission at Islamabad for details and shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit as soon as possible.