§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications for(a) leave to remain in the United Kingdom, (b) variation of leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom and (c) fixing an indefinite leave stamp on an applicant's passport or travel document as the result of the removal or replacement of a previous passport were there in each of the last five years; [78639]
(2) how many persons in receipt of limited leave (a) applied for a variation or extension of their leave to remain and (b) had such an application granted in 1998. [78622]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe available information relates to initial decisions on applications for an extension of stay, excluding dependants. The numbers of such decisions, excluding those in respect of an asylum application, were:
Year Number 1994 185,000 1995 169,000 1996 180,000 1997 173,000 1998 157,000 151,000 of the decisions in 1998 were grants of an extension of stay, including indefinite leave to remain. I regret that the other information requested is not available.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the current cost of processing applications for(a) leave to remain in the United Kingdom, (b) the variation of leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom and (c) the fixing of an indefinite leave stamp on an applicant's passport or travel document as a result of the removal or replacement of a previous passport. [78671]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienOur estimate of the average cost of dealing with applications for(a) and (b) is £90. This includes direct costs and overheads, including accommodation. The cost of fixing an indefinite leave stamp on a passport will be significantly less than this.