§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw)I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Fiona Lindsley as the new Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance Refusals without the Right of Appeal. Her appointment is for two years. Ms Lindsley brings a wealth of experience in the immigration field. The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin). and I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that we are offering a fair service to our visa clients.
I should also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the excellent work undertaken by Rabinder Singh QC, the previous Independent Monitor.
51WSI should also inform the House that the Independent Monitor's report for 2003 (which covers decisions taken in 2002) has been delayed because of the lengthy recruitment process. Ms Lindsley has agreed to 52WS complete it by 3 May 2004 and I shall of course present it as usual to the House. The timetable for the 2004 report remains the same, and will be available by 30 November 2004.