§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) with reference to the operation of the interim appointment system in Islamabad for applicants seeking entry clearance(a) by what criteria an application is judged to be straightforward, (b) by whom this decision is made, (c) how an applicant is informed that the application is regarded as straightforward, (d) what types of visa application can be considered under this system and (e) if an existing applicant awaiting interview can take advantage of the scheme; [120487]
(2) how many applications for entry clearance have been considered under the interim appointment system in Islamabad; and of these, how many were (a) accepted and (b) refused, for each type of visa application. [120488]
§ Mr. VazThere is no interim appointment system in operation at Islamabad. There is, however, a fast-track scheme for spouses in the settlement queue, whereby they can present themselves for interview on any Tuesday. Applicants who meet the relevant criteria of the Immigration Rules without the need for any additional inquiry are granted entry clearance. Those who do not are invited to return for further interview on the date of their original appointment.
No statistics are kept for those granted entry clearance, or deferred to their original appointment, during this process. All of those who attend have their applications considered by an Entry Clearance Officer.