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SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Racial Hatred

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Solicitor-General how many people have been (a) charged and (b) convicted for incitement to racial hatred in each year for which figures are available. [10284]

30 Oct 2001 : Column: 607W

The Solicitor-General: Records for prosecutions for incitement of racial hatred under part III of the Public Order Act 1986 have been kept since 1988. The records relate to the year that the application for consent to prosecute was dealt with and so it is not possible to state with any certainty how many prosecutions resulted in convictions in any given year. The number of applications for consent to prosecute for each year since 1988, the number of prosecutions arising and the convictions obtained are summarised in the table.

Also, figures published in the Crown Prosecution Service Racist Incident Monitoring Annual Report 1999–2000 show that the number of racist incidents sent

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for prosecution rose from 1,603 in 1998–99 to 2,417 in 1999–2000. Prosecutions were brought against 1,832 defendants (76 per cent.) on 2,651 charges. Guilty pleas were tendered on 66 per cent. of the charges and there were convictions after trial on another 12 per cent. of the charges. In total 2,078 (79 per cent.) of the 2,651 charges prosecuted resulted in convictions.

Almost half the prosecutions prosecuted were new offences of racially aggravated crime brought under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which came into force in September 1999. A high proportion of the remaining offences contained admissible evidence of racial aggravation and were prosecuted under other legislation.

Consent applications and prosecutions since 1988 under Part III of the Public Order Act 1986

YearNumber of Attorney-General consent applications (per defendant)WithdrawnNot grantedProsecuted(5)Convicted
19883122
1989111
1990222
19914131
19925232
1993222
1994222
19958176
1996131129
1997122109
19982111
1999443
200055(6)2
2001 to date77(7)

(5) Not necessarily in the same year

(6) Two results outstanding

(7) Results awaited


PRIME MINISTER

Prime Minister's Powers

Mr. Allen: To ask the Prime Minister further to his reply of 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 818–19W, on the Prime Minister's powers, if he will list the 50 specific references in statute to Prime Ministerial powers. [10546]

The Prime Minister: I have placed in the Library of the House a list of the statutory references to the title 'Prime Minister'.

Afghanistan

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with President Bush on the use of cluster bombs by coalition forces in Afghanistan; and what restrictions were agreed on their use. [11443]

The Prime Minister: I am in close contact with the US on all aspects of the response to the 11 September attacks, including at the military planning level.

The cluster bombs used in Afghanistan do not contain anti-personnel landmines and are therefore legitimate weapons which have not been prohibited by any treaty or convention. They are used with discretion and proportionality as international law requires, and against legitimate and appropriate terrorist and military targets that are selected with great care.

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will consult President Bush on initiating talks with the Government of Iraq concerning the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. [9873]

The Prime Minister: I am in regular contact with President Bush on a wide range of issues including those relating to the current situation in Afghanistan. There are no plans at present to discuss initiating talks with the Government of Iraq.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, for each month of (a) 1998, (b) 1999, (c) 2000 and (d) 2001 to date, was the total number of Afghanistan nationals who have (i) applied for asylum, (ii) been granted refugee status, (iii) been refused asylum, (iv) been granted asylum on appeal and (v) been deported. [11444]

Angela Eagle: The available data on applications and initial decisions are included in the table.

30 Oct 2001 : Column: 609W

The Immigration Appellate Authority allowed five appeals (to nearest five) from Afghan nationals in 1998. Data on appeal outcomes by nationality are not available for 1999, 2000, or 2001. Mechanisms are now in place to enable the production of such statistics for 2001, but their publication is pending data quality checks to guarantee their reliability.

30 Oct 2001 : Column: 610W

Monthly data on the removal of Afghan asylum applicants are unavailable. In 1998, 15 Afghan applicants (to nearest five) were removed or departed voluntarily following the initiation of enforcement action against them. Information on the number of Afghan applicants removed from the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2001 is unavailable.

Applications received for asylum in the UK, excluding dependants, and initial decisions, for nationals of Afghanistan, 1998–2001(8)

Cases considered under normal procedures(11) Backlog clearance exercise(12)
MonthApplications(9)Total decisions(10)Grants of asylumGrants of ELRTotal refusalsGranted asylum or ELR under backlog criteria(13)Refused under backlog criteria(14)
1998
January11055*2525
February901501405
March15013051205
April115140*1405
May14080*80
June175135*130*
July180165*1605
August2752305225*
September2552405235*
October26014051305
November310905805
December325455355
Total2,3951,600351,50065
1999(15)
January275(16)(16)(16)
February255(16)(16)(16)
March285(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
April295(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
May295(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
June370(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
July330(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
August415(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
September355(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
October355(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
November375(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
December380(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)
Total3,9751,295151,1809010
2000
January31540*15205
February46010053065
March365130103585
April510135155070
May430120104565*
June39512052585*
July405125153080
August4951801540120*
September5351751030135
October5604104530340
November550515115110285
December535545130255160
Total5,5552,5903756951,51510
2001(17)
January5101,020175555290
February6151,320225785310
March6802,0453751,215450
April700930195550185
May9001,025220615190
June910985220600165
July810875220485165
Total5,1208,1951,6354,8001,760

(8) Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2

(9) May exclude some cases lodged at local enforcement offices between January 1999 and March 2000

(10) Information is of initial decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions

(11) Cases considered under normal procedures may include some cases decided under backlog criteria

(12) Cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum application backlog

(13) Includes cases where asylum or ELR has been granted under the backlog criteria

(14) Includes some cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds

(15) 1999 data on decisions are not available by month due to problems with data quality

(16) Not available

(17) Provisional data


30 Oct 2001 : Column: 611W

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in Spelthorne borough are funded by the Government. [11192]

Angela Eagle: Figures are not available by borough for those asylum seekers receiving support under the national asylum support scheme, nor is information available centrally on the number of asylum seekers supported under the interim support scheme in the Spelthorne borough.

Statistics from the national asylum support service (NASS) for the end of July 2001 show that 13,160 1 , 2 asylum seekers (including dependants) were receiving voucher-only support from NASS and were staying in the London region, which includes Spelthorne. A further 680 1 , 2 asylum seekers (including dependants) were being supported in NASS accommodation in the London region 3 .




Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional provision is being made available for asylum-seeker women who are

30 Oct 2001 : Column: 612W

HIV positive, who are not able to breastfeed their children, and who are not entitled to milk tokens or section 17 payments. [10283]

Angela Eagle: Asylum-seeking mothers who are supported by the national asylum support service (NASS) may claim additional support on the birth of their baby, amounting to £30.95 per week. They may also be eligible for a maternity payment of £300. Asylum-seeking women who are HIV positive, and who are not able to breastfeed their babies, are not eligible for any other additional support under the NASS scheme.

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people he estimates are resident in this country on the basis of (a) indefinite leave to remain, (b) exceptional leave to remain first granted before 31 March 1996 and (c) full refugee status. [10175]

Angela Eagle: The table provides data on those persons granted settlement in the United Kingdom, ie granted the right to stay indefinitely, in each year from 1990 to 2000.

However, it is not possible to determine how many people are resident in the United Kingdom at any one time on the basis of their immigration status. Information on those granted indefinite leave to remain who die or subsequently leave the United Kingdom is not recorded.

Acceptances for settlement 1990 to 2000

Number of persons
19901991199219931994199519961997199819992000
All acceptances(18)53,20053,90052,57055,64055,01055,48061,73058,72069,79097,120125,090
Refugees and persons given exceptional leave to remain(19),(20)1,1309901,7803,9903,2901,6004,2004,8306,68022,50024,840
Of which:
Recognised refugees(19),(20),(21)9307501,2802,8502,2606801,1202,4004,270 22,500 24,840
Persons given exceptional leave to remain(19),(20)2002405001,1401,0309203,0802,4302,410
All other acceptances(18)52,07052,91050,79051,65051,72053,88057,53053,89063,11074,620100,250

(18) Includes spouses and dependants (including spouses and dependants of refugees and persons granted exceptional leave to remain)

(19) Accepted in own right (excludes spouses and dependants)

(20) The information in the table relates to the total number of persons granted settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in any one year and does not necessarily relate to the year that refugee or exceptional leave status was granted

(21) Includes refugees from South East Asia and their dependants and persons granted settlement under measures aimed at reducing the pre-July 1993 backlog as announced in the White Paper in July 1998


Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recent representations the national asylum support service has received in relation to management and support services at Landmark and the Inn on the Park in Everton, Liverpool; and what the nature of those representations was. [10207]

Angela Eagle: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 19 October 2001, Official Report, column 1394W. No further representations have been received since that date.


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