HC Deb 19 January 1999 vol 323 c408W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the(a) target time and (b) average actual time between applications for renewal of visas and decisions for nationals of (i) Bahrain and (ii) China currently in the United Kingdom. [65755]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

2,280 applications for further leave to remain by nationals of Bahrain and of China were decided in the public enquiry offices on the day of application in 1998; and 1,260 postal applications were decided within 16–17 weeks in respect of both nationalities. We aim to decide all applications in the shortest possible time.