HC Deb 01 May 2001 vol 367 c613W
Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to reach an initial decision for applications for asylum is; and if he will make a statement. [159440]

Mrs. Roche

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 26 March 2001,Official Report, column 852W, which gives the available information on the average time taken to reach an initial decision for applications for asylum.