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Motor Fuels
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions by what means he intends to facilitate competition between independent petrol retailers and oil companies for the provision of motor fuels at motorway service areas. [147048]
Mr. Hill: My Department requires the operators of all motorway service areas to meet a range of minimum standards. This includes a requirement that fuel should be available 24 hours a day every day of the year. How this requirement should be met, however, and which brand or brands of fuel should be available, are matters for service area operators.
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the neighbourhood renewal fund. [147368]
Mr. Prescott: £800 million is already available over the next three years through the neighbourhood renewal fund to help the authorities in the most deprived areas, and therefore under the most pressures, to begin to make progress raising standards in core services. This complements the major increase in investment and new floor targets for public services announced in the spending review.
We published our action plan on neighbourhood renewal last week. Our aim is that within 10-20 years no one is disadvantaged because of where they live. We all want to see fast and effective progress on this and I am pleased to announce that we are increasing the NRF provision for 2001-02 from £100 million to £200 million. This means that the action plan will get off to a strong start next financial year with even more positive action taking place at a local level.
The revised allocations under the NRF are set out as follows.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Applications
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in each of the last five years, how many initial asylum decisions were made, how many and what proportion were dismissed on grounds of incorrect or delayed applications and how many and what proportion were appealed against; and if he will make a statement. [145712]
Mrs. Roche: Information for the latest five years for which data are available is given in the table.
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999(7) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of decisions | 27,005 | 38,960 | 36,045 | 31,570 | 33,720 |
| Refused on non compliance grounds(8) | 2,085 | 2,015 | 3,615 | 2,995 | 1,085 |
| Proportion (percentage) | 8 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Appeals received(9) | 14,035 | 22,985 | 20,950 | 14,320 | 6,615 |
| Proportion (percentage) | 52 | 59 | 58 | 45 | 20 |
(7) Provisional figures. All figures rounded to the nearest five.
(8) Non-compliance refusals (under paragraph 340 of the immigration rules and paragraph 180F prior to October 1994) are for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period. From November 1991 these include refusals for failure to respond to invitations to interview to establish identity under the measures introduced then
(9) Appeals received do not necessarily relate to decisions made in any given time period.
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Provisional information for the year 2000 will be published on 25 January 2001 on the Department's website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of asylum applications in each of the last five years resulted in (a) asylum status and (b) exceptional leave to remain after an initial decision; in each year how many cases were appealed and what proportion of appeals were won by applicants; and if he will make a statement. [145714]
Mrs. Roche: The latest information available is given in the tables.
Provisional information for the year 2000 will be published on 25 January 2001 on the Home Department's website www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index/htm.
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| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999(11),(12) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications received | 43,965 | 29,640 | 32,500 | 46,015 | 71,160 |
| Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum(13) | 2,190 | 1,460 | 3,390 | 3,925 | 355 |
| Proportion (percentage) | 5 | 5 | 16 | 9 | 1 |
| Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave(13) | 6,435 | 2,330 | 1,665 | 1,945 | 403 |
| Proportion (percentage) | 15 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Refused asylum and exceptional leave(13) | 22,045 | 14,540 | 14,725 | 13,235 | 4,580 |
| Proportion (percentage) | 50 | 49 | 45 | 29 | 6 |
(10) Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest five.
(11) 1999 figures may exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices.
(12) Provisional figures.
(13) Includes cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum application backlog.
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| Year | Cases appealed | Proportion of appeals won(15) (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 14,035 | 3 |
| 1996 | 22,985 | 4 |
| 1997 | 20,950 | 6 |
| 1998 | 14,320 | 9 |
| 1999(16) | 6,615 | 27 |
(14) Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest five.
(15) Appeals upheld as proportion of appeals determined in same year.
(16) Provisional figures.
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