Entry Clearance (Indian sub-continent) (Hansard, 22 April 1996)

§ Mr. Cox
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the number of entry clearance officers at British high commission offices in(a) Pakistan, (b) Sri Lanka, (c) India and (d) Bangladesh on 30 March. [25572]

§ Mr. Hanley
The numbers of entry clearance officers serving at the British high commission offices in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are as follows:

(a) Pakistan:

i. Islamabad: 28

ii. Karachi: 5

(b) Sri Lanka: 4 officers

(c) India:

i. Bombay: 10

ii. Calcutta: 1

iii. Madras: 2

iv. New Delhi: 12

(d) Bangladesh: 12

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current average target time set for the United Kingdom post in Islamabad to(a) prepare and (b) dispatch to the United Kingdom explanatory statements concerning refusal to grant entry clearance; what the target times were in each quarter over the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [26237]

§ Mr. Hanley
Since 1989, the target times for the preparation and submission of appeal statements by the high commission in Islamabad have been one month for non-settlement appeals and three months for settlement appeals.