HC Deb 13 June 2003 vol 406 cc157-8W
Mr. Malins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits to enter and work in the UK have been applied for in each of the last 24 months; and how many have been granted in each of the last 24 months. [113600]

Beverley Hughes

Between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2003 Work Permits considered a total of 331,277 applications for work permits, of which 297,331 were approved. The following table provides a monthly breakdown of the number of work permits approved and refused during that period:

Month Approved Refused Total Number

of Applications

2001
April 10,595 673 11,268
May 12,453 669 13,122
June 12,674 696 13,370
July 12,682 832 13,514
August 12,439 1,005 13,444
September 10,701 933 11,634
October 12,288 1,012 13,300
November 10,865 797 11,662
December 9,014 831 9,845
January 12,493 1,178 13,671
February 10,917 1,287 12,204
March 12,452 1,527 13,979
2002
April 13,627 1,560 15,187
May 14,301 1,363 15,664
June 12,223 1,068 13,291
July 15,499 1,466 16,965
August 13,860 1,431 15,291
September 13,239 1,639 14,878
October 13,439 2,351 15,790
November 11,778 2,093 13,871
December 10,615 1,728 12,343
January 13,117 2,543 15,660
February 11,818 2,730 14,548
March 14,242 2,534 16,776
Total 297,331 33,946 331,277