§ Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) how long on average people who(a) were refused leave to remain in the United Kingdom in (i) March 1997, (ii) June 1997, (iii) September 1997, (iv) December 1997, (v) March 1998 and (vi) June 1998, (1) for a year on the grounds of marriage, (2) indefinitely on grounds of marriage, (3) indefinitely as a child of parents settled here, (4) indefinitely as the parent of children settled here and (5) for a longer period as a student and (b) were refused asylum in the United Kingdom waited between the date of refusal and the date of determination of their appeal by an adjudicator or special adjudicator; and how long he estimates those refused in each category in (x) September 1998, (y) December 1998 and (z) January 1999 will wait; [71795]
(2) how long, on average, people who were refused entry clearance at a British post abroad in (i) March 1997, (ii) June 1997, (iii) September 1997, (iv) December 1997, (v) March 1998 and (vi) June 1998 (a) to join a British or settled spouse in the UK, (b) to join a British or settled parent in the UK, (c) as the elderly parent of a British or settled adult child in the UK, (d) to come to follow a course of studies for more than six months, waited between the date of lodging the appeal and (1) the appeal papers being sent to the UK and (2) the date of the adjudicator's determination of their appeal; and how long he estimates those refused in each category in (x) September 1998, (y) December 1998 and (z) January 1999 will wait. [71783]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI have been asked to reply.
Information is available only for the waiting times between asylum refusals and adjudicator appeal determinations. This is given in the table. Based on this information, it is projected that similar cases lodged in September 1998, December 1998 and January 1999, are likely to take approximately seven months.
I regret that information on the total time period between refusal and the appeal hearing in non-asylum cases could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Average time to appeal determination in asylum refusal cases1, March 1997, June 1997, September 1997, December 1997, March 1998 and June 1998 Month of asylum decision Average time to appeal determination (months) March 1997 8 June 1997 8 September 1997 9 December 1997 8 March 1998 6 June 1998 5 1Figures are estimates, based on cases for which information is recorded