To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visa applicants from (a) India, (b) Sri Lanka and (c) Zimbabwe have had their applications refused in each of the last three years; of those how many have appealed; how many such appeals have succeeded; how many decisions have been withdrawn prior to determination of the appeal; and if he will make a statement. (253862)

The number of UK visa applications refused in India and Sri Lanka in each of the calendar years 2006-08 is shown in the following table, together with the number of appeals received and appeals allowed. The same information is shown in the table for Zimbabwe, but this is based on applications made globally by Zimbabwe nationals rather than just those lodged in Zimbabwe as those data are not available.

We are unable to readily separate applications where a decision has been revoked following receipt of an appeal from those where a decision has been revoked following an Asylum and Immigration Tribunal determination. This information could be provided only by checking individual applications and therefore at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will include medical qualifications in the criteria for awarding a Tier 1 visa. (280857)

On 23 February the Home Secretary asked the Migration Advisory Committee what further changes to the criteria for Tier 1 there should be in 2010-11, given the changing economic circumstances. The Committee are due to report back to the Government in October. There are no plans to amend the Tier 1 points criteria before that time.

However, this is not to say that overseas doctors are unable to work in the UK. It is open for them to do so through Tier 2. Where they are a postgraduate doctor who has studied in the UK the UK Border Agency will, exceptionally, allow the NHS and others to recruit graduates of UK medical schools from overseas under Tier 2 of the points based system without first testing the resident labour market. This concession, which we will apply to the current round of recruitment, will allow these doctors open access to jobs in the UK's health sector, allowing them to continue their careers here.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for the UK Border Agency’s Tier 1 (General) Category Visa Programme have been (a) denied and (b) subsequently upheld at appeal since the introduction of new rules on 29 February 2008; and if he will make a statement. (282217)

As of 31 May 2009, 7,279 overseas visa applications under Tier 1 (general) of the points based system had been refused. There is no right of appeal on immigration grounds against decisions to refuse visa applications under the points based system, including Tier 1.