Immigration (Hansard, 10 November 1997)

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications by persons of independent means had been dealt with by the immigration and nationality department in 1997, as at 1 October. [14240]
408W

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
The information requested is given in the table.

Persons of independent means¹ 1 January to 30 September 1997

Number of persons²

Given leave to enter the country 50

After-entry application for an extension of stay dealt with³ 220

¹The requirement restricting persons of independent means to those who are at least 60 years old was introduced on 1 October 1994, but extant cases were not affected.

²Figures are provisional.

³Including persons of independent means seeking an extension of stay in another category or seeking settlement, and other persons seeking an extension of stay as a retired person of independent means.

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the backlog of cases for each of the immigration and nationality directorate's divisions on 1 October. [14242]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
The information requested is given in the table.

Cases outstanding¹ in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at 1 October 1997

Number² of cases

After Entry and Appeals Directorate³ 17,000

Asylum Directorate⁴ 52,500

European Directorate 3,900

Nationality Directorate 73,000

Immigration Service Enforcement Directorate⁵ 24,000

Finance and Services Directorate⁶ 6,100

¹Includes unactioned cases and work in progress.

²Rounded to the nearest hundred.

³Includes referred entry clearance applications and appeals awaiting preparation of statements.

⁴Cases awaiting an initial decision and asylum appeals awaiting validation and preparation.

⁵Excluding cases where illegal entry papers have been served but there is an outstanding asylum application/appeal; these cases are included in the Asylum Directorate figure.

⁶Items of correspondence (mainly passports, letters and new applications being sorted and allocated to caseworkers).

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, at 1 October, was the average waiting time for consideration of applications for each of the divisions of the immigration and nationality directorate. [14223]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
The available information is given in the table.

Average waiting time from receipt of application to decision for applications decided in the immigration and nationality directorate on 1 October 1997

Months

After entry and appeals directorate¹ 4

Asylum directorate²:

Pre-1993 Act applications 55

Post-1993 Act applications 13

European directorate³:

Residence permits:

11 per cent. within 1

35 per cent. within 2

67 per cent. within 6

409W

Average waiting time from receipt of application to decision for applications decided in the immigration and nationality directorate on 1 October 1997

Months

Residence documents:

6 per cent. within 1

19 per cent. within 2

43 per cent. within 6

Nationality directorate:

Naturalisations 17

Independent registrations⁴ 6

Right of abode 5

¹Data relate to the third quarter of 1997.

²Data relate to the six months March to August 1997.

³Data relate to cases dealt with in September 1997.

⁴Registration not dependent upon a parent's application for naturalisation.

Persons of independent means¹ 1 January to 30 September 1997
	Number of persons²
Given leave to enter the country	50
After-entry application for an extension of stay dealt with³	220
¹The requirement restricting persons of independent means to those who are at least 60 years old was introduced on 1 October 1994, but extant cases were not affected.
²Figures are provisional.
³Including persons of independent means seeking an extension of stay in another category or seeking settlement, and other persons seeking an extension of stay as a retired person of independent means.

Cases outstanding¹ in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at 1 October 1997
	Number² of cases
After Entry and Appeals Directorate³	17,000
Asylum Directorate⁴	52,500
European Directorate	3,900
Nationality Directorate	73,000
Immigration Service Enforcement Directorate⁵	24,000
Finance and Services Directorate⁶	6,100
¹Includes unactioned cases and work in progress.
²Rounded to the nearest hundred.
³Includes referred entry clearance applications and appeals awaiting preparation of statements.
⁴Cases awaiting an initial decision and asylum appeals awaiting validation and preparation.
⁵Excluding cases where illegal entry papers have been served but there is an outstanding asylum application/appeal; these cases are included in the Asylum Directorate figure.
⁶Items of correspondence (mainly passports, letters and new applications being sorted and allocated to caseworkers).

Average waiting time from receipt of application to decision for applications decided in the immigration and nationality directorate on 1 October 1997
	Months
After entry and appeals directorate¹	4
Asylum directorate²:
Pre-1993 Act applications	55
Post-1993 Act applications	13
European directorate³:
Residence permits:
11 per cent. within	1
35 per cent. within	2
67 per cent. within	6

Average waiting time from receipt of application to decision for applications decided in the immigration and nationality directorate on 1 October 1997
	Months
Residence documents:
6 per cent. within	1
19 per cent. within	2
43 per cent. within	6
Nationality directorate:
Naturalisations	17
Independent registrations⁴	6
Right of abode	5
¹Data relate to the third quarter of 1997.
²Data relate to the six months March to August 1997.
³Data relate to cases dealt with in September 1997.
⁴Registration not dependent upon a parent's application for naturalisation.