Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Minutes of Evidence

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM FCO ON SPECIFIC POINTS:

1.  TURKISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS WITHIN THE FCO (Q 182)

  According to the FCO Personnel Command database there are currently 102 Turkish speakers within the office. Of these, half speak the language at a level regarded higher than "survival". A breakdown of the figures is below:

	Natural Speakers	Functional	Operational	Extensive	Total
	3	22	14	12	102
By Grade
Band B	2	5	0	0	7
Band C	0	4	5	1	10
Band D	1	7	3	3	14
Senior Management Structure	0	6	6	8	20
Southern European Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office 21 March 2002

2.  EU ACTION PLAN—TURKEY (Q 214)

  1.  FCO posts in all EU candidate countries run projects intended to support the accession process, helping candidates prepare for EU membership. They look for projects which build on the UK's strengths, ideally have high visibility and project a positive image of the UK, complement the efforts of other partners and the Commission and—where possible—promote British business interests. To these ends, we had £150,000 to spend in Turkey during 2001-02.

PROJECTS FOR 2001-02

Title	Description
Globalisation, Development and Civil Society; Social Partnership between the private, Public and NGO sectors.	Workshops on social partnership and strengthening civil society in Turkey.
Original Commitment—£13,570	Spend—£13,043.32
Visit to Turkey by National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).	A 3-day visit by a senior official from the NCVO to provide guidance to the MFA on revising their NGO legislation and harmonising it with the EU.
Original Commitment—£3,050	Spend—£3,050 (estimated)
Flying Broom Women's Website.	Establishment of a website to strengthen communication, co-ordination and co-operation amongst women's organisations.
Original Commitment—£43,000	Spend—£36,300
Ministry of Justice Study Visit to the UK.	Six-month visit to the UK for four judges and a public prosecutor to study at Warwick University. Subjects include Human Rights and European Law.
Original Commitment—£25,000	Spend—£32,450
Capacity Development of EU Secretariat and Turkish Line Ministries in Project Policy and Co-ordination.	A UK consultant to provide training to 30-40 middle managers and decision makers on identifying and implementing projects.
Original Commitment—£11,085	Spend—£10,085
EU Secretariat General sponsored visit to the UK.	Deputy Secretary-General and Heads of Department from the EU Secretariat General visited the UK in October 2000 to see how the UK coordinates EU policy.
Original Commitment—£5,000	Spend—£9,755.32
Ministry of Interior participation in British Council seminar in the UK.	Two officials attended a British Council seminar on maximising organisational performance in the public sector in November 2000.
Original Commitment—£3,500	Spend—£3,643.50
Short-term training for Judges and Public Prosecutors on Criminal Justice	Two-week training course in the UK for five participants from the Ministry of Justice covering the criminal court system and the criminal litigation process.
Original Commitment—£23,925	Spend—£23,925
Short-term visit to the UK by Statisticians of the General Directorate of Judicial Records and Statistics.	One-week study visit in the UK for threeparticipants to share best practice on records management.
Original Commitment—£3,500	Spend—£3,500
Short-term visit on European Judicial Network.	One-week study visit in the UK for three participants from the Ministry of Justice to learn from the UK experience of the European Judicial Network.
Original Commitment—£14,660	Spend—£14,660
Total—£146,290 (£150,000)	Total—£148,518.51
Southern European Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office 12 March 2002

3.  THE VISA OPERATION IN TURKEY (Q 215)

SUMMARY

  1.  The overall number of visa applications received in Istanbul during 2001 fell by 18 per cent compared with the previous year. Yet the visa operation was failing to meet service delivery targets (complaints received from members of the public and MPs about delays in processing visa applications). A review concluded that: the Visa Section was working in a committed fashion but under great pressure; additional temporary Entry Clearance Officer assistance was required; changes introduced by post to remedy matters needed to be refined and additional measures taken; and the Visa Section management structure and responsibilities needed greater definition. These measures are in hand.

BACKGROUND

  2.  Reviews of the Visa Section were carried out by the Joint Entry Clearance Unit (JECU—Home Office/FCO) in December 2000 and again in January 2002. A number of recommendations to improve service delivery and the environment for both the public and members of the Visa Section were made as a result. The majority of these have now been implemented (apart from improvements to the interview guichets and the recruitment of an extra locally engaged Visa Assistant).

DETAIL

  3.  Analysis of statistics for 2001 established that the Visa Section was failing to meet public service agreement (PSA) delivery and performance targets—

—  The waiting time for Tier 3 (in depth) interviews had grown to 104 working days, considerably beyond the target of 10 working days.

—  The refusal rate at Tier 3 had averaged 55 per cent and in April had reduced to 42 per cent, the target set for posts being 60 per cent.

—  The delay for a Tier 4 (settlement) interview had extended to 27 working weeks, more than twice the target of 13 working weeks.

—  However, 99 per cent of straightforward visa applications were being processed within 24 hours of receipt, thereby beating the target of 90 per cent within 24 hours.

  4.  The reviewers found that the section appeared to lack a sense of direction. However, a recent change in senior management had now improved matters visibly. Analysis of the statistics suggested that there had been an overcautious approach when considering applications, leading to delays in decision making.

  5.  In response to the review, Istanbul reported that the number and quality of visa applications had been influenced heavily by two major economic crises with many business and financial institutions laying off staff. The incidence of forged documentation produced to support applications had also risen sharply. As a result, a number of measures designed to bring the visa operation back on track were introduced.

ACTION TAKEN BY ISTANBUL

—  The number of interviews carried out each day was increased from 30 to 36.

—  The Tier 3 queue was capped by carrying out interviews on the day of application, as well as for those in the queue.

—  Extant cases in the queue were carefully scrutinised to ensure that an interview was necessary.

—  The handling of very brief (Tier 1) and slightly longer (Tier 2) interviews were combined, thereby allowing staff to be reallocated to deal with in-depth interviews (Tier 3).

—  A dedicated telephone line was installed for callers to enquire about an earlier/cancelled visa interview or appointment, freeing up staff time.

—  A scheme was introduced for accredited messengers and travel agents to present bulk applications on behalf of clients.

—  Improved information was made available to applicants through guidance leaflets, Istanbul's website and seminars for local agents of English language schools.

—  The time taken to interview applicants was more closely monitored to ensure decisions were reached within target times.

—  ECOs were deployed more flexibly to ensure decisions were reached on the same day.

—  The public areas were refurbished and more seating was provided.

—  Post are currently investigating ways of providing a 24 hour service for all applications.

  6.  Against the background of the continuing operational problems, it was decided that a further JECU review of the visa operation should take place in January 2002 to identify changes to procedures which would assist the section to meet service delivery and performance targets. The reviewers found the Visa Sections staff, both UK based and locally engaged, fully committed and working exceptionally hard under great pressure to provide a quality service to the public.

  7.  This second review team made the following recommendations:

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RECENT REVIEW OF OPERATIONS

—  The addition of two temporary Entry Clearance Officers to the section. (The first has already arrived; the second arrives on 1 April 2002).

—  Reinforcement of locally engaged staffing.

—  Designation of a Head of Visa Section to improve line management and the direction of the Visa Section.

—  Reorganisation of Post working hours to improve flow of work (eg the staggering of meal breaks).

—  The urgent implementation of a previous recommendation to improve the acoustics at the interview counter.

—  Circulation to all staff of key objectives and a statement of purpose that clearly set out Visa Section priorities.

  8.  The Entry Clearance Managers have also been made aware of the need to manage the changes and to monitor regularly the section's performance. They are reporting progress monthly. JECU will play an active part in helping the Visa Section to meet service delivery targets and will continue to monitor performance via the statistical returns.

CURRENT SITUATION

—  The waiting time for Tier 3 in depth interviews has been reduced to 76 working days (from a peak of 104 days). This is, however, still well beyond the target of 10 working days.

—  The refusal rate at Tier 3 has increased to 76 per cent for February 2002, the target set for posts being 60 per cent.

—  The wait for a Tier 4 settlement interview has been reduced from 27 to 16 working weeks, a welcome improvement towards the target of 13 working weeks.

  9.  Unquestionably the Visa Section is now moving in the right direction. From January 2002, there has been a definite improvement in service delivery. These improvements need to be sustained and I am confident that the recommendations listed above, together with the measures already introduced by post, will help to this end.

STUDENT APPLICATIONS

  10.  Particular concerns have been expressed about the handling of student applications. The number of student applications received in 2001 fell. This was particularly disappointing following an increase in 2000. The queue lengths discouraged some applicants from applying, although the reduction reflects the downturn in the local economy in addition to the effects of international travel following the events of 11 September.

  11.  The percentage of student applications refused doubled from eight per cent in 2000 to 16 per cent in 2001. This reflected the fall in standard of applications. There has been no reduction in the quality of refusal decisions in Istanbul. Each application is fully considered on its merits and each applicant must satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that they qualify for entry clearance in accordance with the Immigration rules. The latest published figures show that the global refusal rate for student applications in 2000 was 16 per cent. This is considerably higher than the global refusal of seven per cent for all applications over the same period.

  12.  Students, some of whom spend their entire academic career in the UK, may extend their leave to remain beyond the validity of the original visa and subsequently return to the UK without a further visa. However, regular visitors to the UK need to hold a valid visa whenever they enter the country and consequently more visas are issued to them.

BACKGROUND NOTE: VISA OPERATIONS IN TURKEY

—  The main visa issuing post in Turkey is located at the Consulate General in Istanbul, processing approx. 52,000 applications per year. Following the economic crisis in February 2001 in Turkey, applications overall fell by approximately 18 per cent in that year. But refusal rates rose to 6 per cent. The Embassy in Ankara only processes applications from Turkish Diplomatic, Special and Service passport holders—roughly 5,000 applications per year.

Key statistics	All applications received	Percentage refused	Percentage of student applications refused
2000	64,000	3.4 per cent	8 per cent
2001	52,000 (-18 per cent)	6 per cent	16 per cent

—  The visa operation is conducted in accordance with the Joint Entry Clearance Unit's (JECU) Best Practice Guidelines.

—  Straightforward applications are processed within 24 hours of receipt, with over 90 per cent issued on the same day. Some of the less straightforward applications are also processed within 24 hours.

—  For applications which require a second interview, the waiting time is currently running at over 70 days. JECU and Istanbul have looked closely at the reasons for this and recommendations have been made to improve the throughput of applications.

Key statistics	Tier 3 queue (target of 10 days)	Settlement queue (target of 12 weeks)
December 2001	104 days	27 weeks
March 2002	76 days	16 weeks

—  Postal applications are accepted in Istanbul only and are designed to spare the applicant unnecessary travel. Messenger applications can be sent both to Ankara and Istanbul, or applicants can appear in person. The level of permanent visa staffing (both UK based and locally engaged) is adjusted where possible to take account of the level of applications. Currently 11 UK based staff and 33 locally engaged staff are employed at both visa operations (in Ankara and Istanbul). The sections take on temporary staff to assist in the busy summer months.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

March 2002

4.  BRITISH CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIPS IN TURKEY (Q 219)

  1.  The scheme provides outstanding Turkish graduates with an opportunity to pursue a relevant course of post-graduate study in Britain. It plays a vital role in strengthening the capacity of key Turkish institutions as they prepare for EU accession. Former scholars include senior officials, academics, journalists and NGO players, and are organised into a local alumni association.

  2.  This year the FCO will award 47 scholarships in Turkey, with FCO funding of £452,000 and an extra £167,207 arising from joint funded partnerships with institutions within Turkey (these support a further 24 masters scholars). Our Embassy is developing links with other outside organisations, in order to secure further scholarship funds. The Open Society Institute (Soros Foundations Network), have funded an additional "Chevening" place at Essex University, and discussions are underway with HSBC to sponsor three students for 2002-03.

ALLOCATIONS WITHIN WIDER EUROPE COMMAND

  3.  The spread of Chevening resources amongst countries in the Command is set out in the attached spreadsheets, covering the three financial years to 2001-02. Provisional figures for 2002-03 are also included (Turkey's allocation has been confirmed).

CHEVENING AWARDS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2002-03

  4.  Of the approximately 1000 applications received this year, 144 candidates were interviewed for 10 masters programme scholarships and 12 short course scholarships which relate specifically to the EU Accession agenda.

  5.  In addition to our full scholarships we also run three joint-funded schemes:

—  For the past five years we have offered a joint programme with the Turkish Education Foundation (TEV). This year the programme will support 10 masters scholars. Our partners provide one third of the total costs of this programme.

—  For the past 10 years we have offered a joint programme with the Banks Association of Turkey (BAT), which will be supporting 10 masters programme scholars. Our partners match our funds for this programme.

—  For the past five years we have offered a joint programme with the Turkish Science Foundation (TUBITAK), which will be supporting four masters programme scholars. Our partners will match our funds for this programme.

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS

Academic year	CHEV	CHEV/TEV	CHEV/BAT	CHEV/TUB	TOTAL
2000-01	529	118	65	7*	717
2001-02	557	102	7	6*	725
2002-03	754	112	65	5*	936

NUMBER OF CANDIDATES

Academic Year	2001-02	2002-03
Total	45	47
Masters	39	31
Short Course	6	16**

  *Short courses (max nine months post doctoral research).

  **five scholarships for max nine months post doctoral research and 11 short courses on EU subjects.

UK ENTRY CLEARANCE FOR CHEVENING SCHOLARS

  6.  The British Council in Turkey enjoys a good working relationship with the Visa Section in Istanbul and have developed effective procedures for processing their visitors to the UK, particularly with those involved with the Chevening programme. The processing time for applications is good (usually issued within 24 hours), with few complaints.

WIDER EUROPE CHEVENING ALLOCATIONS

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03
Albania	43,460	85,000	139,983	135,360
Armenia	57,107	65,000	76,533	71,910
Azerbaijan	76,055	80,000	76,910	71,910
Belarus	43,460	43,460	46,454	33,840
Bosnia	68,900	93,900	150,757	131,130
Bulgaria	86,920	160,000	114,210	126,900
Croatia	65,190	85,000	97,290	114,210
Cyprus	353,192	200,000	173,430	173,430
Czech Rep	120,601	225,364	183,823	156,510
Estonia	70,622	90,000	80,370	80,370
Georgia	57,107	50,000	91,537	93,060
Hungary	152,110	230,364	177,364	156,510
Iceland	61,930	50,000	46,530	37,220
Kazakhstan	112,360	120,000	100,370	93,060
Kosovo			108,457	88,830
Kyrgyzstan			14,610	29,610
Latvia	65,190	90,000	80,370	80,370
Lithuania	71,444	90,000	80,370	80,370
Macedonia	40,810	85,000	109,980	135,360
Malta	60,844	60,844	60,387	59,220
Moldova		30,000	29,610	29,610
Norway	35,854	35,854	33,840	37,220
Poland	146,677	240,337	171,167	203,040
Romania	183,910	195,000	185,824	190,350
Russia	226,442	677,000	709,160	719,100
Slovakia	99,905	160,000	88,830	88,830
Slovenia	43,460	85,000	76,140	76,140
Switzerland	44,460	44,460	41,454	46,530
Turkey	854,360	637,000	450,291	452,610
Turkmenistan	32,595	32,595	62,151	63,450
Ukraine	171,322	201,322	208,057	203,040
Uzbekistan	111,433	90,000	65,713	71,910
Yugoslavia		50,000	130,752	131,130
Total	3,557,720	4,382,500	4,262,724	4,262,140
Southern European Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office 20 March 2002

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Prepared 30 April 2002