Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2008

I want to deal with the practical application of rules in posts overseas and make a few suggestions to my noble friend, of which I have given him notice. What I have to say is part of a transparency agenda. In my view, transparency serves the public interest, whether for the consumer or public administration. I understand that the regulations deal primarily with fees payable in the United Kingdom and that other statutory instruments deal with fees payable outside the United Kingdom. However, the regulations cover arrangements for some countries abroad, in particular those countries that ratified the 1961 European Social Charter. I am using the SI as a peg to deal with the practical administration of the fees regime as it exists overseas. With that in mind, I suggest an amendment to the wider regime of fees payments. I understand that the UK Border Agency publishes an annual report, the problem with which is that statistical data are general and do not cover the operations of individual UK Border Agency posts overseas where visas are granted. Parliament is entitled to have far more detailed information on the work of individual offices overseas, and therefore I make the following suggestions which are based on my experience of how the system works. An amended regime should be created to include the submission by UK Border Agency outposts overseas of an annual return to be included in the agency’s annual report. The return should show the number of visa applications where fees are payable in each outpost overseas; the categories under which each application is made; the number of applications approved; the number of applications refused; the number of applications where fees have been refunded; the number of applications refused where the decision has been overturned at an immigration appeal tribunal and the number of persons employed at each outpost overseas, separating British nationals stationed overseas from locally engaged staff, with the actual length of each appointment. I would guess that this information is available at stations overseas; or it should be. I think also that the National Audit Office would have done some work in this area already as part of its economy, efficiency and effectiveness remit.