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Football Supporters (Travel Bans)
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many football supporters resident in the West Mercia police authority area have been banned from travelling to the FIFA World Cup. [63377]
Mr. Denham: 1,049 individuals are currently subject to football banning orders preventing travel to the 2002 World Cup. Of these, 19 are resident in the West Mercia area.
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Police Funding
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes the Budget of 17 April will make to policing in Herefordshire. [51650]
Mr. Denham: Police forces in the West Midlands have received extra funding to make communities safer. West Midlands Police received a cash boost to step up operations against street offenders and all forces in the West Midlands, including West Mercia Police, received funding allocations based on careful assessments of their current requirements and commitments to provide an enhanced counter-terrorist capability. The overall level of funding allocated following the Budget, to police forces in the West Midland region for counter terrorism purposes, #910,000, has been made public. To break this down further in public could compromise security.
Correspondence
Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Central about the case of Mr. O. Z., reference Z90292/2. [62853]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 20 June 2002]: I wrote to my hon. Friend the Member about this case on 17 June 2002.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 25 April, concerning immigration case G350999. [60579]
Beverley Hughes: I wrote to the hon. Member on 20 June. I apologise for the delay in replying.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 22 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Parveen Akhtad. [61684]
Mr. Blunkett: A reply to my right hon. Friend was despatched on Thursday 13 June 2002.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 9 April on behalf of Mr. Crossling of Torquay. [62069]
Mr. Denham: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 11 June 2002.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on financial support for asylum seekers. [57265]
Beverley Hughes: Destitute asylum seekers can apply for support whilst their claim is being considered. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) deals with applications for support. Asylum seekers requiring support can request subsistence and accommodation, subsistence only or accommodation only. Current levels of support are provided in the table. Where accommodation is requested this will normally be provided on a no choice basis in one of the dispersal areas. Accommodation is fully furnished and includes
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kitchen utensils. The costs of the accommodation including associated utility bills and council tax are met centrally.
| # | |
|---|---|
| Qualifying couple | 59.26 |
| Lone parent aged 18 or over | 37.77 |
| Single person aged 25 or over | 37.77 |
| Single Person aged at least 18 but under 25 | 29.89 |
| Person aged at least 16 but under 18 (except a member of a qualifying couple) | 32.50 |
| Person aged under 16 | 33.50 |
Some asylum seekers remain supported by local authorities under the interim provisions. Others are supported under income support arrangements.
The budget for National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in 2000–01 was #38 million*. This figure includes grants totalling #22 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees. Total spending on asylum support in the year 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 was #751 million*. This includes grant payments of #580 million* to local authorities and the Scottish Executive for provision of accommodation and support for asylum seeking adults and families under the Interim Regulations and for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). A further #12 million* was paid to local authorities and the Scottish Executive directly by NASS under contracts to provide accommodation and related services for dispersed asylum seekers. #46 million* was paid directly by NASS to private sector accommodation providers for the provision of accommodation and related services to dispersed asylum seekers.
The budget for NASS for the last financial year, 2001–2002, was #40.0 million*. This figure included grants totalling #18.1 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees. The budget for asylum support for 2001–2002 was #1,094 million*.
The NASS budget for 2002–2003 is #40.5 million*. This figure includes grants totalling #18.6 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers. The current budget for support is #434 million.
* All figures rounded to nearest # million.
Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if asylum-seeking adults with dependent children who do not qualify for support will be allowed to work. [59994]
Beverley Hughes: Generally speaking asylum seekers are not allowed to work whilst their application for asylum is being considered. But under the terms of the employment concession an asylum seeker can apply for permission to work if, and only if, their application remains outstanding for longer than six months without a decision being made on it. There are no plans to amend the way the concession operates. The concession is applied across the board, to supported and unsupported asylum seekers alike.
An asylum seeker with dependant children who does not qualify for support is not automatically allowed to work.
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Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects cash-only support for new asylum applicants to end. [62530]
Beverley Hughes: The White Paper, Secure Border Safe Haven, published 7 February 2002 made it clear that we are looking at the case for abolishing the Xcash-only" option and the Bill currently being debated by Parliament does include a provision for an Order making power for the withdrawal of the cash only support option either wholly or in specified circumstances. However, no decisions have been taken about when and how the power, if agreed, will be exercised.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many languages are spoken among those whose claims for asylum are registered and undetermined. [62174]
Beverly Hughes [holding answer 18 June 2002]: The number of applicants who have applied for asylum and are currently awaiting an initial decision on their asylum application is not available by either language spoken or nationality, and would only be available at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
HEALTH
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter to him dated 7 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to John and Maureen Wilson. [61687]
Mr. Milburn: A reply was sent on 21 June.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter to him dated 29 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Beryl Clark. [61688]
Mr. Milburn: A reply was sent on 20 June.
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter dated 2 May from the hon. and learned Member for Harborough about the Leicester Royal Infirmary and the Leicester Epilepsy Concerned Parents and Carers Group. [63950]
Mr. Lammy: A reply was sent on 19 June.
Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire of 16 January, on behalf of his constituent Mrs. A. Tremlett. [52480]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 26 April 2002]: A reply was sent on 19 June.
Hair Dyes (Cancer)
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the report by the European Commission concerning links between hair dyes with cancers. [51469]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
The document issued by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Cosmetics and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP) on 27 February 2002, is a discussion paper on XAssessment Strategies for Hair Dyes".
The initial findings of the SCCNFP suggest that all 57 permanent hair dyes are suitable for use in consumer products. However, the UK, along with other member states, has some concerns about the scientific methodology the SCCNFP have used to reach their conclusions, and for the sake of public reassurance and business confidence we have asked them to re-evaluate their studies with more evidence-based methodology.
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