§ Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Home Office about reducing the time taken by the Home Office to respond to requests for information made by the Visa Section of the British High Commission in Harare about visa applicants. [149487]
1418W
§ Mr. MullinWith effect from 10 January, new procedures have been set in place to ensure that requests for information from our diplomatic posts overseas are dealt with expeditiously by the Home Office. In line with these new procedures, the Home Office will notify the Visa Section as soon as they receive the request for information and agree a timescale for providing it. It is envisaged that these measures will create a secure and faster system for exchanging information between the Visa Sections at all our posts including the British Embassy in Harare and the Home Office.