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Asylum

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 in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 broken down by (i) month and (ii) region; and if he will make a statement. [13044]

Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The number of allegations of racial harassment reported to the National Asylum Support Services (NASS) Investigations Team in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 is as follows.

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YearNumber
2000
May(12)4
June(12)19
July(12)38
August(12)46
September(12)36
October36
November40
December32
2001
January47
February71
March66
April64
May78
June74
July71
August103
September72
October122

(12) 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

The figures are not broken down by region. The figures represent the reports which NASS's Investigations Section received and information on who reported the incident is not recorded.


Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankans have sought political asylum in the UK in each of the last three years. [13446]

Angela Eagle: The information is provided in the table.

Applications for asylum to the UK, excluding dependents, from nationals of Sri Lanka, 1998–2000(13)

YearApplications
19983,505
19995,130
2000(14)6,395
2001(14),(15)3,060

(13) All data rounded to nearest five

(14) Provisional

(15) January to July

The information is published regularly in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom, a copy of which is available in the Library, and from the RDS website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ immigration1.html


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Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum were made in each of the last 12 months by (a) Afghans, (b) Sri Lankans, (c) Somalians and (d) Iraqi Kurds; what proportion were (i) granted and (ii) refused; what proportion were granted exceptional leave to remain; and what proportion have been removed. [14022]

Angela Eagle: The latest available information is provided in the table and relates to the number of applications and initial decisions made under normal procedures for principal applicants. Data on initial decisions are independent of applications data, and do not necessarily relate to applications lodged in the same period. Information on Iraqi Kurds is not available.

Following the initial decision, applicants have a right of appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority.

Reliable information on the proportion of those refused asylum or exceptional leave to remain in the latest 12 months who were subsequently removed is not available. Information on the nationality of persons removed is not available due to data recording problems.

Information on asylum applications and initial decisions is published regularly in the annual statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library, and from the RDS website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1/html

Applications for asylum to the UK and initial decisions(16) for nationals of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Iraq, excluding dependents, August 2000 to July 2001(17)

MonthApplicationsInitial decisionsGrants of asylumPercentage of initial decisionsGrant of ELRPercentage of initial decisionsRefusalsPercentage ofinitial decisions
Afghanistan
August 2000495180159402312068
September 2000535175106301613577
October 2000560410451130734082
November 2000550515115231102228556
December 2000535545130242554716029
January 20015101,020175175555529028
February 20016151,320225177855931024
March 20016802,045375181,2155945022
April 2001700930195215505918520
May 20019001,025220226156019019
June 2001910985220226006116517
July 2001810875220254855516519
Total7,79010,0201,955195,265532,80028
Sri Lanka
August 2000445470451025636578
September 2000470405401015432079
October 20005656751051510156583
November 20006758951101210177587
December 2000610770901220365585
January 20015701,240140114031,06586
February 20014351,495205144031,24583
March 20014101,950260139051,60082
April 20014458651251560767578
May 20014258051051340566082
June 2001415695851230458584
July 2001355565851530545080
Total5,81510,8351,3951341548,96583
Somalia
August 2000615680210311251932548
September 20005455409518601136067
October 20004854451052330631570
November 200043561518530701136058
December 200042052516030801628554
January 2001500705260371552229541
February 2001380805345431652030037
March 20014701,135390342652448042
April 2001420565240421402518533
May 2001495700290421752523533
June 2001505460180391352914532
July 2001710520185361703316532
Total5,9807,6902,645341,570203,44045
Iraq
August 200087051080152204321041
September 20001,03534545141053020058
October 20001,18549030715344591
November 20001,205580601025549585
December 200069553035740745586
January 20017551,1806569071,03087
February 200171089090101101269078
March 20014251,28010581901598577
April 200129563060101201944571
May 20013407806581351758074
June 200144058065111101940570
July 20015805804581252241071
Total8,5358,38074091,285156,36076

(16) Cases decided under normal criteria. Excludes cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 asylum application backlog.

(17) Provisional data.

Notes:

All data except percentages are rounded to nearest five.

Columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.


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Nick Tucker

Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission into the case of Mr. Nick Tucker to report. [13440]

Mr. Keith Bradley: The Criminal Cases Review Commission commenced its review of Nicholas Tucker's conviction on 31 May 2001. It has made progress with the case but is unable to say when it will complete its consideration.

Badger Baiting

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make badger baiting a recordable crime. [13891]

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Mr. Denham: Convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings under sections 1(1) and (3), 2 and 3 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 are recordable by police forces on the Police National Computer. These include offences of wilfully killing, injuring or taking a badger, cruelly ill-treating a badger, and intentionally or recklessly interfering with a badger sett, including damaging or destroying a sett or causing a dog to enter a sett.


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