To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which month's post is being opened by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate with regard to visa applications. [109507]

Correspondence relating to visa applications is normally handled by the Correspondence Section of UK visas. UK visas consistently opens mail as soon as it is received with the aim of processing all correspondence within the Cabinet Office deadlines of 15 days for letters from Members of Parliament and 20 days for other letters. In 2002, UK visas responded to 17,566 letters from MPs, Members of the Public and others: 99.37 per cent. of these correspondents were sent replies within these target times.