(2) when he plans to answer question 250959, tabled on 21 January 2009, on the timescale for processing immigration cases.
The data my hon. Friend requires are provided in the following table.
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Leave to remain Two years 3,767 4,077 8,127 2,627 1,904 Three years — — 1,103 2,713 1,031 Four years — — — 1,487 1,119 Five years — — — — 1,253 Indefinite leave to remain Two years 1,441 3,081 2,623 4,523 2,740 Three years — — 797 3,097 1,782 Four years — — — 1,440 1,551 Five years — — — — 1,194
The above data are not provided under the National Statistics protocols. They have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
Data for some of these periods are not available. This is because there was a major change in our IT systems in 2002. Data on cases lodged in or before 2002 will therefore not be complete. This means we are unable to supply reliable information on some of the cases you requested. The data could now be reliably gathered only by the examination of individual files for historic information and this could be achieved only at disproportionate cost to the organisation.
LTR and ILR outstanding applications are generally complex cases involving ECHR and those overstaying existing leave granted.
We are improving migration workstreams, as new processes are introduced with initial focus on clearing older cases, then improving overall throughput.
I wrote to my hon. Friend on 17 July 2009.
[holding answer 14 July 2009]: It is anticipated that the decision will be notified to Mrs. Kaur shortly.