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Fires
Mr. Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many fires there were in domestic premises in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998; [77199]
- (2) how many fires were started by arson in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998. [77198]
Mr. George Howarth: In 1997, the United Kingdom fire service attended a total number of 86,400 primary fires (those involving property or casualties) which were of malicious or suspected deliberate ignition. The number of arson offences recorded by the police in England and Wales for the same period was 31,500.
The total number of dwelling fires attended by the United Kingdom fire service was 72,200. Data for 1998 are not yet available.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees who have been granted asylum are currently resident in Britain; and what percentage are known to be in receipt of means-tested benefits. [76605]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I regret that information regarding the number of refugees currently resident in the United Kingdom is not available.
It is possible to say how many people are granted asylum in any one year, but not whether they have remained in the United Kingdom. Some refugees decide to go back to their country of origin when circumstances improve. Nor is it possible to determine the percentage of refugees in receipt of means-tested benefits.
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of refugees seeking asylum in the United Kingdom by (a) nationality and (b) country of origin in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 1998. [R] [76751]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The requested information is given in the table. I regret that information on the country of origin is not held centrally and could be collated only at substantial cost.
Notes:
1. Provisional and estimated figures rounded to the nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2
2. Includes relevant revisions to the number of in-country applications lodged in September-December 1996
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Immigration and Asylum Appeals
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) appeals were lodged against deportation by overstayers and others not lawfully in the UK and (b) immigration/asylum appeals there were in total, in the last full year for which figures are available; and how many of those appeals were allowed in each case. [76579]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In 1998, the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) received a total of 24,720 appeals to immigration adjudicators. Of these, 15,440 related to applications for asylum and 9,275 to other immigration cases.
In the same period, 25,320 adjudicator appeals, in asylum cases, were determined by the IAA. It is estimated that of these, 2,355 were allowed. I regret that information regarding the number of non-asylum appeals allowed is not available.
With regard to appeals lodged against deportation by overstayers and others not lawfully in the United Kingdom, information at this level of detail could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration detainees there were at the latest date for which figures are available in (i) immigration detention centres and (ii) prison establishments who (a) had been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK, (b) were awaiting removal following a recommendation for deportation made by a court, (c) were awaiting removal having exhausted all appeal rights and (d) who were not within the above categories. [76614]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The available information, on all persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers in immigration detention centres and prisons in the United
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Kingdom as at 31 January 1999, is given in the table. The detailed information requested can be obtained only through the examination of individual case records and is, therefore, available only at disproportionate cost.
| Location | Total detainees |
|---|---|
| Immigration detention centres | |
| Campsfield | 183 |
| Dover Harbour | 15 |
| Harmondsworth | 91 |
| Heathrow's Queen's Building | 15 |
| Manchester Airport | 16 |
| Tinsley House | 147 |
| Prison establishments | |
| Bedford | 2 |
| Belmarsh | 16 |
| Blakenhurst | 3 |
| Brixton | 8 |
| Bullingdon | 2 |
| Canterbury | 10 |
| Dorchester | 3 |
| Edinburgh | 5 |
| Feltham | 2 |
| Haslar | 130 |
| High Down | 23 |
| Holloway | 15 |
| Holme House | 3 |
| Leeds | 2 |
| Lewes | 2 |
| Longriggend | 16 |
| Maghabberry | 2 |
| Magilligan | 7 |
| Manchester | 3 |
| Norwich | 3 |
| Pentonville | 6 |
| Rochester | 191 |
| Swansea | 2 |
| Wandsworth | 9 |
| Woodhill | 2 |
| Wormwood Scrubs | 16 |
| Other prison establishments | 12 |
| Total | 962 |
(9) Excluding persons detained in police cells (other than at Dover)
Working Time Directive
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in his Department have been invited to waive the Working Time Directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil servants in his Department have refused to waive the requirement; and what is the total cost of compliance with the Directive. [76806]
Mr. Straw:
No figures of the kind sought by the hon. Member are currently available. The standard terms and conditions of service for staff employed by the Home Office are well within the limits set by the Working Time Regulations. The Regulations do not require employers to keep records of the number of workers who refuse to sign an opt-out agreement and no central records are kept by the Home Office. Compliance costs are not kept centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the representations he received on which he based his statement under section 1g (1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998 with respect to the provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Bill. [76973]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
No. The statement was based on internal advice which is exempt from disclosure in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 February 1999, Official Report, column 121, if he will list the dates and locations of the meetings he has had with the US Attorney General since 1 June 1998. [77152]
Mr. Straw:
In the period covered by the Question, I have not met personally with the United States Attorney-General. However, I have chaired one meeting of G8 counterparts on 16 December 1998, which was conducted by video conference, at the request of Janet Reno, and spoken with her by telephone from time to time.
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