HC Deb 01 February 1995 vol 253 cc681-2W
Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals for changes to procedures used for recording and progressing requests from entry clearance officers overseas and others for sponsors living in the United Kingdom to be interviewed have been canvassed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The system of recording and progressing requests from entry clearance officers for interviews is reviewed from time to time. As a way of progressing applications, consideration is given, as necessary, to offering sponsors the opportunity for interview at a location outside their immediate area if capacity exists at another port.

Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many requests for sponsor interviews have been recorded by his Department in each of the last three years to date; and what is the current target time between the recording of a request for a sponsor interview and the official requesting the interview receiving a report on the outcome of such an interview;

(2) in how many cases over the last three years his Department has recorded more than one request for a sponsor interview in the United Kingdom from an entry clearance officer overseas; in how many a sponsor has waited to be interviewed more than (a) six months; (b) nine months and (c) 12 months;

(3) how many requests for sponsor interviews have been recorded by his Department over the past year; if he will list the ports of entry to which those interview requests have been referred; in each port in how many cases (a) the interview has taken place, (b) an interview date has been offered, (c) no offer of an interview has yet been offered, (d) an interview report has been passed to his Department and (e) an interview report has yet to be despatched.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

This information is not available. Some 1,700 entry clearance interviews with sponsors were conducted between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 1994. The waiting time for interview may vary according to the operational commitments at a particular port at a particular time but the objective is for interviews on deferred EC applications to be carried out within three months of receipt of the request from the entry clearance officer.