Sponsor Interviews (Hansard, 7 February 1995)

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will establish a central record of requests made by overseas entry clearance officers and others for sponsors in the United Kingdom to be interviewed by immigration officers; and if he will arrange for all requests for interviews to be acknowledged and sponsors or their representative to be notified and for action to be taken if such interviews are not held within a reasonable period;
(2) what representations he has received about delays in interviewing sponsors in the United Kingdom in relation to entry clearance applications; if he will arrange for a procedure to record and monitor progress in sponsor interviews at all overseas posts on the Indian sub-continent; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
The information requested on representations about sponsor interviews is not available. Such interviews are received, recorded and despatched by immigration service headquarters. Monitoring the progress and action is a matter for local managers who are aware of the objective to complete them within three months where practicable.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs that overseas posts already record and monitor requests for interview and generate reminders as necessary and that applicants are informed at the time of their interview that their application is deferred pending an interview with their sponsor. A further acknowledgement is not necessary.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average delay at(a) Leeds-Bradford airport and (b) other ports once a sponsor has been interviewed in reports being sent to his Department; and what is the average delay between the receipt of such reports and their dispatch to British overseas posts with particular reference to Islamabad.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
Reports are normally sent from the interviewing office direct to the overseas post. A record is not kept of the average time taken to prepare and dispatch such reports. Local managers are responsible for ensuring that they are completed and despatched promptly. In the case of Leeds-Bradford airport, a sample study of such cases indicates that it took between four and seven days and that the time taken in cases originating from Islamabad took about four days.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he is having with(a) ministerial colleagues and (b) officials to expedite sponsor interviews and reports of such interviews being received by overseas ports.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
I have asked officials to continue with measures which will help to achieve the objective of three months for the completion of such interviews.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 February,Official Report, column 681, who determines if capacity for conducting interviews exists at another port; who informs Leeds-Bradford of such capacity; in the last year, 218W to date, how many sponsors waiting to be interviewed at Leeds-Bradford have been invited for interview at another port; and if he will list the ports where those interviews have been conducted.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
The capacity for conducting interviews at any port is identified by local managers in consultation with immigration service headquarters.
Invitations have been sent to 20 sponsors to attend interview at other ports and offices in the north-east. Hull, North Shields, Stockton and south Humberside will be used for this purpose.