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HOME DEPARTMENT
HMP Downview
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will decide on whether HMP Downview will be a local prison; and if he will make a statement. [11639]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The tactical use of the prison estate is a matter for the Director General of the Prison Service. The particular type of prisoner that is held in each prison changes depending on the profile of the national prison population. The Prison Service Management Board regularly reviews the use of the estate. The current pressure on women's prisons means that Downview is being used to hold convicted and sentenced prisoners.
The Prison Service will continue to identify the most suitable accommodation for the projected numbers and types of prisoners; this will include consideration on whether Downview will hold remand prisoners.
I will ensure that the hon. Gentleman is advised if the decision is taken to place remand prisoners into Downview.
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the costs broken down to include overtime, detached duty allowances and hotel costs arising from employment of female prison staff detached from other prisons to HMP Downview between 17 July and 31 December. [11641]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 7 November 2001]: Regular assessments are made on the continued need for the employment of female staff from other prisons at Downview. The number of staff required is dependent on the need to safely accommodate the numbers of women sent to prison custody by the courts.
Female detached duty staff commenced during October reaching a maximum of 20 officers. Based on this staffing level, the monthly costs are estimated to be £57,000 for detached duty costs (including accommodation costs) and £16,200 for contract hours (overtime). Were this staffing level to remain until 31 December, the estimate for the total costs is £171,000 for detached duty costs and £48,600 for contract hours.
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the cost of renovating C wing at HMP Downview to be suitable for female remand prisoners; and what account was taken of such estimates in the advice which he received on converting Downview to a female prison. [11642]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 7 November 2001]: A decision has not yet been taken on whether Downview prison will hold remand prisoners. Initial views are that C wing does not lend itself for an easy or cost-effective
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conversion to hold remand prisoners. Detailed estimates for such a renovation or for replacing it with a new accommodation block have not yet been carried out.
The decision to select Downview as the prison needing to change function to hold women prisoners was based on a number of criteria including its geographical location, ability to relocate the existing male population and an assessment of the future shape of the prison estate. Funding for a change of function had been secured under a previous spending review settlement; the Prison Service has not requested further funding for this change. I will ensure that the hon. Member is advised if the decision is taken to place remand prisoners into Downview.
Asylum Seekers
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of racial harassment were reported to the National Asylum Support Service's Investigations Team by asylum seekers, concerning the behaviour of accommodation providers or their agents in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001, broken down by (i) month and (ii) region. [13046]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The number of allegations of racial harassment reported to the National Asylum Support Service Investigations Team concerning the behaviour of accommodation providers or their agents in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 is as follows:
| Year/Month | Number |
|---|---|
| 2000 | |
| October | 6 |
| November | 3 |
| December | 3 |
| 2001 | |
| January | 2 |
| February | 2 |
| March | 4 |
| April | 4 |
| May | 2 |
| June | 1 |
| July | 0 |
| August | 1 |
| September | 4 |
| October | 1 |
The figures are not broken down by region. These figures represent the reports which the Investigation Section received and information on who reported the incident is not recorded. Figures are unavailable for the period before the Investigations Team became fully operational.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum applicants were removed from the UK in each month since 1 April; and how many of these were (a) principal applicants and (b) dependants of a principal applicant. [13050]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The number of asylum seekers who were removed from the United Kingdom in each month from April 2001 onwards is given in the table. Information more recent than June is not yet available.
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| Month | Total asylum seekers(18) removed(19),(20) | Principal applicants removed(19),(20) | Dependants removed(19),(20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | 830 | 780 | 55 |
| May | 915 | 870 | 45 |
| June | 840 | 730 | 115 |
(18) Persons who had sought asylum at some point.
(19) Provisional figures, rounded to the nearest five. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
(20) Includes persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons leaving under the Voluntary Assisted Returns Programme.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum appeals, having been received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, are awaiting onward transmission to the Immigration Appellate Authority; and how many asylum appeals, having been forwarded by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, are awaiting determination by the Immigration Appellate Authority. [13049]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: Provisional data indicate that on 31 July 2001 there were approximately 41,000 asylum appeals lodged with Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) which had not been sent to the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA). For every appeal lodged, IND has to review the grounds advanced and may as a consequence need to reconsider all the circumstances of the case. Appeals are not forwarded to the IAA until this consideration has been completed and appeal papers have been prepared.
On 31 July 2001 there were approximately 17,010 asylum cases awaiting determination by the IAA at adjudicator level, 981 cases awaiting leave to appeal to the Immigration Appellate Tribunal and 824 cases awaiting determination by the Immigration Appellate Tribunal.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of racial harassment were reported to the National Asylum Support Service's Investigations Team by asylum seekers, concerning the behaviour of resident communities in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001, broken down by (i) month and (ii) region; and if he will make a statement. [13045]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The number of allegations of racial harassment reported to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) Investigations Team concerning the behaviour of resident communities in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | |
| May | (21)4 |
| June | (21)19 |
| July | (21)38 |
| August | (21)46 |
| September | (21)36 |
| October | 27 |
| November | 32 |
| December | 25 |
| 2001 | |
| January | 39 |
| February | 61 |
| March | 44 |
| April | 42 |
| May | 56 |
| June | 65 |
| July | 61 |
| August | 96 |
| September | 58 |
| October | 112 |
(21) The Performance Monitoring Investigations Section (PMI) became fully operational in October 2000. Figures prior to October 2000 represent those cases reported to the Investigations Sections. Further allegations may have been investigated within the wider Operations Section within NASS but there are no statistics for this.
8 Nov 2001 : Column: 385W
The figures are not broken down by region. These figures represent the reports which the Investigation Section received and information on who reported the incident is not recorded.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken from receipt of an asylum appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority is, (b) determination of the appeal by an adjudicators and (c) final determination of the appeal by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal. [13048]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: For the 12 months ending 31 July 2001, data from the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) for those cases where data are available indicate that the cumulative average times taken from the receipt of an asylum appeal by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to:
- (a) the receipt of an appeal by the IAA is eight weeks;
- (b) the determination by an adjudicator is 24 weeks;
- (c) the final determination by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal is 42 weeks.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications are awaiting an initial decision by the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [13052]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The most recent available figure shows 43,100 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision at the end of August 2001. This figure has been rounded to the nearest hundred. A physical count was ordered by the Home Secretary to ensure absolute validity of the statistics. Problems with the backlog figures had arisen from an accumulation of errors since the last manual count of outstanding asylum applications in 1996.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum applicants were removed from the UK in each financial year since 1993–94. [13051]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The information requested, where available, is given in the table. These figures exclude dependants. Financial year information prior to 1995–96 is not available.
| Year | Asylum seekers(22) removed(23),(24) |
|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 3,540 |
| 1996–97 | 5,705 |
| 1997–98 | 7,010 |
| 1998–99 | 7,185 |
| 1999–2000 | 7,915 |
| 2000–01 | (25)8,930 |
(22) Persons who had sought asylum at some point, excluding dependants.
(23) Figures rounded to the nearest five.
(24) Includes persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons leaving under the Voluntary Assisted Returns Programme.
(25) Provisional figure.
8 Nov 2001 : Column: 386W
Information on the number of asylum seekers removed from the United Kingdom is published regularly in the annual statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics", a copy of which is available in the Library, and via the RDS website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been issued to National Asylum Support Service caseworkers investigating incidents of racial harassment regarding police reports; if reports by third parties are considered; and if he will make a statement. [13043]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: Casework instructions have been issued to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) caseworkers investigating incidents of racial harassment. All incidents and alleged incidents of racial harassment are taken seriously and are investigated by the Performance Monitoring Investigations Section (PMI) within NASS. All incidents are investigated in the same way irrespective of whether they have been reported directly by the victim, their representative or a third party.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the administrative costs of the introduction of the voucher scheme for asylum seekers were. [12871]
Angela Eagle: Vouchers were introduced on 3 April 2000 when the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) assumed responsibility for providing support to destitute asylum seekers.
Total staffing and related administrative costs of NASS for the period 3 April 2000 to 31 March 2001, including the costs of processing application forms, allocating accommodation and administering the voucher scheme were £15.6 million 1 . Vouchers are printed and distributed by third party providers under contract to the Home Office and payments made under the voucher contract are included in the administrative costs of NASS. Details of payments made under this contract are commercially confidential.
- 1 Figure rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.
Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what status is given to unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the United Kingdom who are found not to qualify for (a) asylum and (b) exceptional leave to remain for humanitarian reasons but who cannot be removed from the United Kingdom. [13905]
Angela Eagle: It is our policy not to remove a failed asylum seeker from the United Kingdom if he or she is unaccompanied and under 18 years of age unless adequate reception arrangements can be made in the country of origin. Until now, if reception arrangements could not be made, four years' exceptional leave to remain has been granted.
8 Nov 2001 : Column: 387W
We have now decided that if a failed asylum seeker who has no other basis to remain in the United Kingdom is aged between 14 and 17 at the time a decision is made and adequate reception arrangements cannot be made, he or she will be granted a period of exceptional leave until his or her 18th birthday. He or she will be able to apply for further leave at the end of this period in the same way as anyone else, but will be expected to leave the United Kingdom if he or she does not so apply or any application is rejected.
If a failed asylum seeker, for whom adequate reception arrangements cannot be made, is still aged under 14 at the time the asylum decision is made, he or she will continue to be granted four years' exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom in view of age and vulnerability. This will enable Local Authority social services departments to plan for the child's long term future. The child will then be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom in the same way as adults who have completed four years' exceptional leave. In this way, we are continuing to protect children while they are in need but closing a loophole which affords settlement in the United Kingdom to those who would not normally qualify.
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