Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what average time is taken to process applications from UK citizens waiting to return to the UK with surrogate children from outside the EU.

The Home Office does not hold information relating to UK citizens wishing to return to the UK with surrogate children from outside the EU. The number of Entry Clearance applications to bring adopted non-EU children to the UK over the past 3 years, along with the average time taken to process such applications is shown in the following table.

Visa endorsements for adoption and settlement. Source: HO Management Information, Performance, Reporting and Analysis Unit, 05.11.14