§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the recommended time scale for applications for leave to remain indefinitely to be processed by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; [120738]
(2) what the average processing time is for immigration applications for leave to remain indefinitely. [120737]
§ Mrs. RocheThere was a reorganisation of caseworking practices in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at the beginning of 1999, and an analysis of decisions taken subsequently has not yet been undertaken. But over 70 per cent. of new applications are decided within a week under fast track procedures. The remainder300W of new applications will normally be decided within six weeks. There is no recommended time limit for deciding these applications.