To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time was for a decision to be reached on applications for leave to remain in each of the last five years. (112024)

We are unable to provide this information. Performance is measured in relation to the percentage of applications decided in a specific time periods (currently 20 and 70 working days).

This information is summarised in the following table. It sets out the percentage of charged and non-charged applications decided within these periods:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of postal applications for leave to remain a decision on the case was reached within three weeks of receipt in the latest period for which figures are available. (112025)

Performance for non-charged and charged applications is measured against targets of 20 and 70 working days.

The year-to-date figures for the current financial year (April 2006 to January 2007) are as follows:

48 per cent. of non-charged applications were completed within 20 working days and 80 per cent. were completed within 70 working days.

During the same period 68 per cent. of charged applications were completed within 20 working days and 91 per cent. were completed within 70 working days.