51. Tenth supplementary memorandum
submitted by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Home
Office
1. "We understand there's been a meeting
in Riga recently (possibly last week) to discuss EEA immigration,
particularly I think dependants of EEA nationals. Is there a note
on the outcomes of this meeting you could send me?"
On 20 and 21 April 2006 UKvisas held a European
conference in Riga, inviting Entry Clearance Managers (ECMs) from
across the World as well as Home Office representatives. The aim
of the conference was to discuss European issues relating to posts;
in particular by providing training for ECMs in the Free Movement
of Persons Directive (2004/38/EC), ensuring it would be effectively
implemented by posts by the required deadline of 30 April 2006.
Updated policy guidance was also released at this time to maximise
effective decision making. The conference also encouraged increased
communication and effective partnership between UKvisas and the
Home Office.
The EEA guidance was issued in the form of an
e-Gram, giving ECOs guidance on the new EEA Regulations which
came into force on 18 April. All guidance is published both internally
and externally. Please find (below) the links to the UKvisas website
and the IND website.
(a) Showing the EEA guidance for posts (ie
pre-entry):
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1036679156328
(b) The link to chapter 3 of the ECIs, which
is the Home Office (shorter) version of the EEA family permit
guidance:
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/edis/
2. Can I check progress on three items in
the batch of material you provided on 30 March responding to our
follow-up (9 March) to our request for further information (26
January)? I've reproduced them below, from your note, and underlined
the relevant passages:
(a) Outcome of AIT appeals following statutory
review—
Original answer given "Due to the technical
complexities associated with collating this cohort information
more development work is required and we are unable to offer any
additional information at the moment. However, we are taking this
work forward and will send the data in the first week of May."
Please find information below on Statutory Reviews
and outcomes following statutory review. The statutory review
receipts and decisions data has been taken directly from the IRIS
database. We have had to manually extract data from the IRIS and
ARIA databases to report outcomes following statutory review.
Please see Table A.
IMMIGRATION APPEALS
1 Not necessarily final outcomes. In some
cases either the appellant appeals onwards, or the respondent
appeals against a decision in favour of the appellant.
2 "Other" includes appeals where
the hearing is pending, no hearing date has been set, or the decision
has not yet been given following the hearing.
(b) eBorders programme: latest cost-benefit
analysis of biometric visas. What is an SOBC?
Original answer given: "The Committee has
received a copy of the UKvisas Biometrics Programme Strategic
Outline Business Case (SOBC). We are working to update the cost
and benefit information contained in the SOBC in the light of
feedback from our pilot projects and developing discussions with
stakeholders. To date figures have not changed significantly.
We would be happy to provide the Committee with a fully updated
business case when revisions to cost and benefit information have
been completed."
Firstly, to clarify—the Biometrics programme
in UKvisas is not part of the e-borders programme.
The SOBC stands for "Strategic Outline
Business Case" and is a business case presented to the Home
Office Group Investment Board and IND's Joint Approvals Committee.
The Group Investment Board (GIB) threshold is £40 million.
The GIB process is as follows:
— Programme submits Business Case to GIB
assessors;
— They respond with feedback/comments/questions;
— Programme responds, incorporates suggested
changes;
— Programme makes final presentation.
With regard to biometric visas, the Strategic
Outline Business Case for the UKvisas Biometrics Programme was
submitted in March 2006. UKvisas are about to submit the first
full business case to the Group Investment Board (GIB) in the
very near future. The GIB will take 4-6 weeks to review this draft,
after which the UKvisas team will respond to their comments. The
formal presentation to the GIB will take place in mid-August.
(c) Analysis of costs of different categories
of handling in-country immigration applications which led to the
setting of fees at current levels; and comparison with costs of
categories of entry clearance applications and fees
Original answer given: "We do not yet have
the full information the Committee has requested but will supply
this as soon as it is available."
— The written evidence provided on 15th
February 2006 contained a detailed breakdown of the proposed student
fee at Annex T [not printed]. In addition, a breakdown
of costs for the Leave to Remain fee was contained in the same
pack at Annex U. Costs associated with the costs of Entry Clearance
fees were provided in the written evidence submitted on 29 March
2006 (in the form of an excel spreadsheet embedded in the Written
Evidence) [not printed].
— UKvisas and IND work very closely to
deliver and strengthen an integrated immigration control for the
UK. Constitutionally, however, the organisations are discrete
businesses, each governed by its own regulatory regime and functioning
on an independent cost base. The Managed Migration Directorate
of IND is wholly UK based, with UKvisa's operations substantially
based in posts overseas, supported by a relatively small UK base.
In addition, costs that are included in some Managed Migration
fees, for example an apportionment of the costs of appeals, are
not included in UKvisas' fees. An analysis and comparison of the
costs on a like for like basis is not possible for this reason.
22 June 2006
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