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Dangerous Substances (Notification)
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulations govern (a) the holding by fire brigades of lists of premises where significant quantities of pesticides and related chemicals such as sheep dips are stored and (b) procedures for not using large volumes of water in the event of fires at such premises; and if he will make a statement. [5430]
Mr. Sackville: Fire authorities have arrangements, under section 1(1)(d) of the Fire Services Act 1947, for obtaining, by inspection or otherwise, information required for firefighting purposes with respect to the character of premises in their areas. Where premises contain significant quantities of any dangerous substance, the occupier has to inform the local authority under the Notification of Dangerous Substances (Notification and Marking of Sites) Regulations 1990.
The Home Office has issued detailed guidance to the fire service on procedures for using water in the event of fires at such premises.
Departmental Staff (Members' Letters)
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials he employed (a) full time and (b) part time in his Department in each of the last three years to answer letters sent to him from hon. Members; and what was the estimated overall cost of replying to them in each of the last three years. [5620]
Mr. Howard: My Department employs no staff exclusively to answer letters from hon. Members. Answers are prepared by a large number of officials as part of their normal duties. No estimate is readily available of the current overall cost of replies. However, in 1994, Home Office Ministers received more than 21,000 letters from hon. Members.
National Lottery
Mr. Dykes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the national lottery's effect on leading United Kingdom charities; and if he will make a statement. [4777]
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Mr. Sackville: The Government made a commitment during the passage of the National Lottery Act 1993 that they would monitor the income of charitable organisations before and after the introduction of the national lottery. This will have two main elements.
First, the Home Office will be obtaining information from the family expenditure survey to look at trends in individual giving to charity. Early results should be available in spring 1996.
Secondly, the Home Office has announced a research programme which has been developed in consultation with the voluntary sector. It will look in detail at all the main sources of charitable income, and will monitor changes over the three years before the introduction of the national lottery, the year of its introduction and the following two years. Detailed analysis of earlier years and the first full, post-lottery year will be available in spring 1997.
It is still too early to make a definitive assessment of the effect of the national lottery on charitable income, but two things can be said with confidence. First, the national lottery could make available to the National Lottery Charities Board up to £300 million every year to support the charitable, benevolent and philanthropic sector throughout the United Kingdom--in addition to the hundreds of millions of pounds of awards to charitable organisations in the arts, sport and heritage sectors made by the other lottery distributors. Secondly, if people wish to give to charity, the most effective way is to give directly to their favoured cause.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who in his Department or the immigration service authorised the disclosure of information concerning the refusal to grant asylum in the United Kingdom to Mr. Abiodum Igbindu; [4851]
(2) what is the policy of his Department in respect of disclosure of information about individual cases, concerning immigration and asylum, to third parties, and what action he is taking in respect of the disclosure of information concerning Mr. Abiodum Igbindu; [4852]
(3) what assessment he has made of the source of the disclosure to third parties of personal details relating to Mr. Abiodum Igbindu. [4856]
Miss Widdecombe
[holding answer 8 December 1995]: Details of individual cases are not disclosed unless applicants--or someone acting on their behalf--have chosen to make public details of their cases and allegations about their consideration. In those circumstances, it is the well-established practice of the Home Office to give information in response to inquiries.
In the case of Mr. Igbindu, the applicant chose to release information to the press. In accordance with normal practice, the Home Office press office responded to media inquiries.
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the contacts his Department has with the Prince's Trust in
18 Dec 1995 : Column: 952
respect of assistance to young people to avoid crime; and if he will make a statement. [5684]
Mr. Maclean
[holding answer 13 December 1995]: Officials from the Home Office meet representatives from the Prince's Trust from time to time to discuss issues of common interest, including means of preventing young people from involvement in crime.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what practical and financial arrangements he intends to make to facilitate the return to the United Kingdom of asylum seekers whose appeals against removal to a third country are allowed. [6169]
Miss Widdecombe:
It is not our practice to provide financial assistance to enable successful appellants from abroad to travel to this country. Other practical issues such as documentation are under consideration.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for (a) arranging for legal advice and (b) allowing instructions to be given to legal representatives in respect of asylum seekers removed to a third country who are appealing against the decision. [6173]
Miss Widdecombe:
Asylum seekers will be advised of their appeal rights before they are removed and how to seek assistance. Arrangements for instructing legal representatives after removal will be a matter for appellants, as is already the case in relation to appeals from abroad under the Immigration Act 1971.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the German Government's procedures in respect of a white list of countries in relation to asylum and immigration. [6177]
Miss Widdecombe:
Our understanding is that under asylum legislation in Germany selected countries have been designated as "safe states of origin". Designation leads to a presumption that there is in general no risk of persecution and claims by nationals of designated countries may be treated as manifestly unfounded unless the facts presented in individual cases outweigh the presumption. Claims are examined under a shortened procedure with restricted appeal opportunities. Countries which are currently designated as "safe states of origin" are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Ghana, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Senegal and the Slovak Republic.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those third countries which his Department regards as safe for the purposes of clause 2 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill; and to what extent the decision on the safety of third countries will be left to immigration officials. [6191]
Miss Widdecombe:
We treat each case on its merits in the light of our information about the asylum procedures of the third country concerned. Over 80 per cent. of removals are to France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Decisions are taken by a unit within the asylum division specialising in safe third country cases.
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Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has proposed to comply with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recommendations of August 1994 on readmission agreements covering refugees sent to third countries. [6193]
Miss Widdecombe:
There is no obligation to consult the authorities of a third country before removing someone there on safe third country grounds. The Government support the early implementation of the Dublin convention, which they ratified in 1992, which sets out criteria for determining which European Union member state has responsibility for considering a particular asylum application.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what special procedures will apply in respect of applicants for asylum who have immediate family resident in the United Kingdom. [6170]
Miss Widdecombe:
An asylum applicant is not normally returned to a safe third country if his spouse or minor dependent children are already lawfully present here. In such a case, the asylum claim is considered substantively. We have no plans to change this arrangement.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for ensuring that asylum seekers removed to a third country under his certificate will have access to legal advice prior to their removal. [6175]
Miss Widdecombe:
Asylum seekers refused leave to enter at a port are advised how to contact the refugee legal centre.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he intends to take in cases where asylum seekers sent to a third country are (a) refused admission by that country and (b) returned by the third country to Britain. [6171]
Miss Widdecombe:
In such cases the asylum claim will, as now, normally be considered substantively by my right hon. and learned Friend.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a person appealing from a third country against a decision by him to send him to that country will be eligible for legal aid for legal advice and for assistance in the preparation and conduct of the appeal. [6174]
Miss Widdecombe:
He will be eligible for assistance and representation from the refugee legal centre, which is grant aided by the Home Office, and, subject to a means test, for advice and assistance under the legal aid green form scheme.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure the safety of those asylum seekers who are removed to third countries. [6192]
Miss Widdecombe:
We will return asylum seekers to a safe third country only in cases where the proposed requirements in clause 2(1) of the Asylum and Immigration Bill are met. Our practice already complies with those requirements.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means he expects an asylum seeker
18 Dec 1995 : Column: 954
removed to a third country to lodge an appeal against the certificate issued by the Home Secretary under clause 2 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill. [6194]
Miss Widdecombe:
The same arrangements will apply as apply now for appeals from abroad under the Immigration Act 1971. The asylum applicant will be provided with an appeal form prior to removal. It will be open to him to send the form by post from abroad or to have notice of appeal lodged on his behalf after removal by a person in this country.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which categories of appellants bringing appeals under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 will be affected by changes in respect of giving and calling oral evidence at their appeals; and how. [6168]
Miss Widdecombe:
No such proposals have been made, but my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor intends to bring forward shortly proposals for amending the Asylum Appeals (Procedure) Rules 1993 in a number of respects.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has in respect of the appeals procedure for asylum seekers removed to third countries in relation to certificates issued by him under the terms of clause 3 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill. [6172]
Miss Widdecombe:
We will indicate during the passage of the Bill what adjustments to appeal procedures will be proposed for appeals under clause 3.
Mr. Alton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account was taken of the provisions of article 3 of the 1951 United Nations convention on refugees in drawing up measures contained in the Asylum and Immigration Bill. [6176]
Miss Widdecombe:
We are satisfied that our proposals are compatible with article 3.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what views were sought from representatives of local government bodies on the implications for them of the Immigration and Asylum Bill. [6478]
Miss Widdecombe:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 December, Official Report column 733.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the consultancy report into asylum appeals commissioned by the Home Office last year to which he referred in his oral statement of 20 November, Official Report, column 337. [6332]
Mr. Kirkhope:
A copy of the report by KPMG Peat Marwick on the operation of the asylum appeals procedures was placed in the Library on 8 February this year.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants seeking political asylum arrived (a) on direct flights from their home
18 Dec 1995 : Column: 955
countries and (b) on flights that landed beforehand in safe third countries in each of the last three years. [5897]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The information requested is not available.
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