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Asylum Seekers
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to questions refs 54013 and 54019, what happened to those asylum seekers from Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania from 1997 to 2001 who were not granted asylum, granted extended leave to remain, or had their application refused. [56447]
Angela Eagle: It is not possible to determine how many persons, refused asylum from 1997 to 2001, have subsequently appealed and/or been removed, and/or left the country voluntarily. This information, where available, could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate costs.
The available information is given in the tables. Appeals and removals do not necessarily relate to decisions made in 1997 to 2001.
| Appeals sent | Total appeals | Appeal outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the IAA | determined | Allowed | Dismissed | Withdrawn | Removals(11) | |
| 1997 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 120 |
| 1998 | 90 | 125 | 5 | 80 | 40 | 240 |
| 1999 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2000(12) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2001(12),(13),(14) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 25 |
n/a = not available
(9) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
(10) Removals do not necessarily relate to appeals dismissed in the same period.
(11) Includes persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them, and may include some persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.
(12) Provisional figures, subject to change.
(13) April to September.
(14) Removals figures for April to September are estimated.
| Appeals sent | Total appeals | Appeal outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the IAA | determined | Allowed | Dismissed | Withdrawn | Removals(17) | |
| 1997 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 110 |
| 1998 | 105 | 130 | 5 | 100 | 25 | 170 |
| 1999 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2000(18) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2001(18),(19),(20) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 425 |
n/a = not available
(15) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
(16) Removals do not necessarily relate to appeals dismissed in the same period.
(17) Includes persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them, and may include some persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.
(18) Provisional figures, subject to change.
(19) April to September.
(20) Removals figures for April to September are estimated.
n/a = not available
(21) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
(22) Removals do not necessarily relate to appeals dismissed in the same period.
(23) Includes persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them, and may include some persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.
(24) Provisional figures, subject to change.
(25) April to September.
(26) Removals figures for April to September are estimated.
21 May 2002 : Column 271W
Information on asylum appeals and removals is published quarterly. The next publication will cover the period up to March 2002, and will be available from 30 May 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http:// www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Contraception
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent efforts his Department has made to make access to contraception easier, cheaper, and provided with relevant advice. [56266]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
Contraceptives are available free of charge from the national health service on prescription. One of the aims of the Sexual Health and HIV Strategy, which was published for consultation in July 2001, is to improve access to contraception and to advise on sexual health. In addition, we have also provided funding to 14 areas to enable them to develop schemes for the free NHS supply of emergency contraception in pharmacies using a patient group direction.
The Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy recognises the importance of helping young people resist peer pressure to have early sex, while seeking to ensure that those who are sexually active have easy access to high quality contraceptive advice. A series of guidance notes have been issued to local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators on improving contraceptive and advice services for young people. Local co-ordinators have audited youth contraceptive services in clinics and general practice against these criteria for effective services in order to identify gaps in service provision and to plan improvements. We are also working closely with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Nursing to improve young people's access to contraceptive advice within general practice.
Teenage Pregnancies
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions have taken place with (a) religious groups and (b) youth organisations to agree a strategy to reduce teenage pregnancies. [56267]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
21 May 2002 : Column 272W
Development of the teenage pregnancy strategy was informed by consultation with individuals and organisations representing both young people and a wide range of faiths.
To ensure ongoing dialogue with faith groups during the implementation of the strategy, the teenage pregnancy unit has established an inter-faith forum involving individuals and organisations from diverse faiths. The forum meets twice a year.
The teenage pregnancy unit has established a national young people's forum to advise on implementation, which meets three times a year, and undertakes targeted consultations with specific groups of young people. The unit also works closely with voluntary sector organisations representing the interests of young people through its forum for non-statutory organisations.
Local teenage pregnancy strategies, developed for each top tier local authority area, are also actively involving young people and the wider community. Guidance on involving young people was published and distributed to local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators in 2001. A resource is currently being developed for local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators on working with those from different faiths and cultures, which will be published in the autumn.
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been done since 1997 to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in the UK. [56265]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
After research by the social exclusion unit into the complex causes of teenage pregnancy, a comprehensive, cross-Government teenage pregnancy strategy was launched in 1999. This sets a target to halve the under-18s conception rate by 2010 and aims to increase the participation of teenage parents in education and training to reduce their long term risk of social exclusion.
The strategy is informed by the best available evidence of what works. This encompasses a multi-faceted approach to help young people resist peer pressure to have early sex, improve sex and relationship education, increase access to effective contraception and sexual health services and support parents in talking to their children about sex and relationship issues.
21 May 2002 : Column 273W
The teenage pregnancy unit has been established to implement the strategy. Every top tier local authority area has a local teenage pregnancy strategy and reduction target to underpin the delivery of the national strategy. Local strategies are managed by a teenage pregnancy partnership board, with a lead teenage pregnancy co-ordinator and representation from the local authority, primary care trusts and other key local partners, including the voluntary sector. Over £60 million has been invested across Government during the first three years of implementation. Early signs of the strategy's impact are encouraging with figures for 2000 showing a 6.2 per cent. reduction from 1998 in both under-18 and under-16 conception rates.
Almost all of the strategy's action points have now been implemented but further work needs to be done to ensure that early progress is sustained. The strategy's independent advisory group has published its first annual report setting out 49 recommendations for further action to underpin implementation of the strategy and delivery of the targets. The Government will publish their response to this report in the summer.
Action on teenage pregnancy relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved Administrations.
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