asked Her Majesty's Government:

What they are doing to improve the quality of initial decisions in immigration cases in order to avoid unnecessary appeals and refunds. [HL1287]

Quality assurance measures are in place in all initial decision-making areas for in-country applications made in the UK to the IND, and visa applications made abroad at entry clearance posts. The measures in place include intensive staff training, regular updating of guidance and instructions for caseworkers, regular audits and sampling of cases as well as the sharing of best practices across departments.

UKvisas and the IND are also taking forward a number of measures which are in accordance with the recommendations made by the Home Affairs Select Committee in the summer of last year.

Fees charged for applications are non-refundable as they reflect the cost involved in the consideration of the application and are not affected by the outcome.