asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the present estimated average period for which applicants for citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies in each of the following categories (
a) had waited before their applications were decided, ( b) now applying can expect to have to wait before their applications are decided: (i) applicants for naturalisation and registration under Section 5A(2), (ii) applicants for registration under Section 6(1), (iii) applicants for registration as married women, (iv) applicants for registration of minors.
The current estimated average periods for which applicants for citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies have had to wait before completion of their applications are as follows:
| Type of application | Estimated average waiting period |
| (i) Applications for naturalization and registration under Section 5A(2) of the British Nationality Act 1948 | 2 years |
| (ii) Applications for registration under Section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1948 | 1 year |
| SENTENCED PRISONERS IN PRISON DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHMENTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES ON 30TH APRIL 1980: BY TYPE OF SENTENCE AND COUNTRY OF BIRTH | |||||
| Country of birth | |||||
| Sentence length and type | UK | Commonwealth | Other(1) | Not known | Total |
| Imprisonment | |||||
| Up to and including 1 year | 8,267 | 464 | 591 | 296 | 9,618 |
| Over 1 year and up to and including 2 years | 6,231 | 362 | 341 | 115 | 7,049 |
| Over 2 years and up to and including 5 years | 7,730 | 594 | 494 | 136 | 8,954 |
| Over 5 years and including life | 3,444 | 320 | 346 | 74 | 4,184 |
| Borstal training | 5,146 | 140 | 83 | 189 | 5,558 |
| Detention centre | 2,044 | 41 | 27 | 39 | 2,151 |
| Total | 32,862 | 1,921 | 1,882 | 849 | 37,514 |
| (1) Including the Republic of Ireland and Pakistan. | |||||
Type of application
| Estimated average waiting period
|
| (iii) Applications for registration under Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1948 by married women | 1 year |
| (iv) Applications for the registration of minor children | 1 year |
It is not possible to give any more precise indication of the likely waiting periods for applicants now applying.