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PRIME MINISTER
Transsexuals
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Prime Minister which department and which Minister has been assigned overall responsibility for parliamentary issues concerning transsexuals; and if he will make a statement. [35269]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 24 June 1996, Official Report, column 14. No Minister or Department has been assigned overall responsibility for parliamentary issues concerning transsexuals. Where, as in this case, issues may touch on the responsibilities of a number of Departments, Ministers and officials in the different Departments work closely together to ensure effective co-ordination.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Serious Fraud Office
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to lay before Parliament and publish the annual report of the Serious Fraud Office for 1995-96. [36309]
The Attorney-General: The report was laid before Parliament this morning and then published. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Drug Abuse
Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues to police forces and local education authorities about joint action to warn pupils of the dangers of drug taking. [35056]
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 30
Mr. Sackville: Police forces are involved in a wide range of projects to provide school pupils with information on the dangers on drug misuse. Guidance on the content and organisation of drugs education and the involvement of other agencies, including the police, has been issued by the Department for Education and Employment. In addition, £6 million has been given to schools under the grants for education support and training programme to train teachers and support new projects in drug education and prevention.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications are currently awaiting an initial decision by his Department's asylum directorate; how many appeals against a refusal of asylum are currently being processed by the asylum directorate; and how many appeals against a refusal of asylum, having been processed by the asylum directorate and despatched to the Immigration Appellate Authority, are awaiting hearings by the authority. [35602]
Mr. Kirkhope: As at 31 May, there were 66,400 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision. As at the same date, there were 870 asylum appeals awaiting validation and preparation by the asylum directorate and 15,650 appeals awaiting a hearing by the Immigration Appellate Authority.
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons granted temporary admission to the United Kingdom pending determination of their application for asylum since 1 January 1994 are recorded as having absconded. [35606]
Mr. Kirkhope: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average time taken by his Department's asylum directorate to process and despatch to the Immigration Appellate Authority an appeal against a refusal of asylum; and what is the average time taken by the authority to hear and determine such an appeal; [35601]
- (2) what is the average time currently taken by his Department to reach an initial decision on (a) all asylum applications and (b) asylum applications submitted (i) prior to and (ii) since implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993. [35609]
Mr. Kirkhope: Information on the times taken at the various stages of the asylum process are given in the table.
| Months | |
|---|---|
| Time taken for an initial decision to be made (Pre-Act applications) | 43.2 |
| Time taken for an initial decision to be made (Post-Act applications) | 10.7 |
| Time taken by the Home Office to process an appeal | 2.0 |
| Time taken by the Immigration Appellate Authority to determine an appeal | 8.2 |
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 31
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number and percentage of asylum seekers are (a) still waiting for consideration of their asylum application to be formally completed by the Home Office and (b) not having their asylum application pursued because his Department has granted them permission to stay. [35634]
Mr. Kirkhope: As at 31 May, there were 66,400 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision. Information on the number of asylum seekers granted leave to enter or remain in another capacity in the United Kingdom, prior to their asylum applications being decided, is not held centrally.
Immigration (Detention Centres)
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to his Department of detaining persons under Immigration Act powers in immigration service detention centres, prison service establishments and police cells in 1995-96; and what amount of that cost was reclaimed from carrying companies during the same period. [35604]
Mr. Kirkhope: The cost of detaining persons in immigration service detention centres and police cells under Immigration Act powers in the 1995-96 financial year was some £14.2 million. Of this, some £2 million was spent on police cells and the balance on the immigration service detention estate.
No charge is made to the immigration service for the use of Prison Service accommodation but the estimated notional cost of this for the same period is about £9 million.
The Immigration Act specifies certain conditions under which detention costs can be reclaimed from carriers and some £400,000 was reclaimed under these provisions in 1995-96.
Mr. Henderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average weekly cost of detaining a person under Immigration Act powers in (a) an immigration service detention centre and (b) a Prison Service establishment. [35603]
Mr. Kirkhope:
For the 1995-96 financial year, the average cost of detaining a person in a centre within the Immigration Service estate was about £560 per week. This figure includes the cost of administrative support from headquarters.
Persons detained under Immigration Act powers in Prison Service accommodation are normally housed separately in specially designated establishments, where the average cost per place in 1994-95 was £449 per week. This figure excludes headquarters costs.
Mr. Henderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were arrested at Heathrow airport on suspicion of having used or attempted to use forged instruments to board an aircraft in (a) 1994, (b) 1995 and (c) 1996 to date; how many such persons were formally charged with such an offence in the same periods; and how many such persons were convicted of such an offence in the same periods. [35607]
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 32
Mr. Kirkhope:
The information is not available in the form requested. The table sets out the available information relating to all arrests at Heathrow airport for offences contrary either to section 1 or the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 or section 3 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that statistical records relating to forged instruments are not kept by reference to the use to which that instrument was being put. All those arrested were formally charged but statistical information on how many of them were convicted is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| Financial | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attempting to obtain a service by deception | 7 | 16 | 29 | 250 |
| Using/possession of a forged instrument | 27 | 37 | 97 | 126 |
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total amount of liability incurred by carriers under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 in each year since 1987; how much has been paid to date; how much has been waived to date; and how much is currently outstanding. [35605]
Mr. Kirkhope: Total charges incurred by carriers under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987 in each year since the inception of the Act are as follows: (Charges are shown in £ million).
1987: £ 3.92
1988: £ 4.40
1989: £ 7.86
1990: £ 9.63
1991: £12.89 1
1992: £12.72
1993: £11.04
1994: £13.24
1995: £12.37 1 The charge increased from £1,000 to £2,000 per inadequately documented passenger on 1 August 1991.
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