Previous Section Index Home Page


4 Dec 2002 : Column 857W—continued

UN Consolidated Appeal

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response she will make to the 2002 consolidated appeal by the United Nations for (a) Eritrea, (b) Burundi and (c) Uganda. [84948]

Clare Short: The UK does not usually intervene directly to address humanitarian crises, but contributes funding to specialist organisations. These contributions are made through responses to the United Nations Consolidated Appeals, to appeals by the International Committee of the Red Cross and from international relief agencies.

We contributed £1,350,000, £850,000, and £611,000 for humanitarian work in Eritrea, Burundi and Uganda respectively, in 2002. The 2003 appeals have now been issued and we are giving consideration to our response. Actual support in 2003 will depend on the level of humanitarian needs.

Additional funding is provided through core support to international organisations including the UN, and through the European Commission. Nearly 20 per cent. of EC funding is paid for by DFID contributions.

UNHCR

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the funding shortfall within UNHCR; and if she will make a statement. [84638]

Clare Short: I discussed funding of UNHCR when the High Commissioner for Refugees visited London in July. Subsequent meetings have taken place between officials in Geneva and London, where funding of the agency was one of the items under discussion. We

4 Dec 2002 : Column 858W

provided advice to UNHCR on the availability of funds from our regional programmes in response to local need.

We are aware of the immense needs which UNHCR is mandated to address and the financial constraints within which it operates.

Our core unearmarked contribution for 2002 is £14 million. In addition, we respond as appropriate to direct appeals from UNHCR for assistance with specific short-term refugee emergency situations and reintegration programmes. In 2002 this assistance amounts to £3.925 million to date. The UK share of EC Development Assistance, including humanitarian, in 2001 was 18.9 per cent. making the UK one of the EC's largest donors. In 2001 therefore, the UK provided £7.9 million for UNHCR through the EC's overall contribution of £41.8 million.

I have also recently approved an extra £1 million to fund UNHCR's community services activities in Africa. This will help underpin UNHCR's key protection activities: prevention of sexual and gender based violence, HIV awareness, self-reliance, youth education and capacity building of refugee social support networks.

The UK has a strong record of support to UNHCR, both in response to emergency appeals and through longer-term institutional strengthening, focusing on helping the agency improve its management, working partnerships and programming. These partnership principles underpin DFID's Institutional Strategy Paper (ISP) for UNHCR, agreed with the agency in December 2001, and which forms the basis of our funding arrangement.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Speeding

Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many motorists were fined owing to being caught speeding by road traffic speed cameras in Lancashire in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the last year for which figures are available; [84976]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Available information, by calendar year, is given in the table. Data for 2001 will be available in the new year.

Fixed penalty and court proceedings data for speed offences detected by cameras(10),(11) in Lancashire police force area 1996, 1997 and 2000

Fixed penalties Court proceedings
YearNumber of tickets(12)Estimated revenue(14)(£000)Number of finesTotal amount of fine (£000)Average fine (£)
19964,028161.130219.966
19975,620224.847737.178
200024,500(14)1,062.0(14)92679.886

(10) Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999.

(11) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.

(12) Paid ie no further action.

(13) 'Estimate' based on £40 fixed penalty charge for 1996, 1997 and January to October 2000. From November 2000 the penalty was raised to £60.

(14) Provisional.


4 Dec 2002 : Column 859W

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons originating from countries that are not members of the Commonwealth were granted political asylum in Great Britain in 2001, broken down by their country of origin. [83889]

Beverley Hughes: I regret that information on the number of asylum seekers granted asylum in Great Britain in 2001 is not available—applications are made

4 Dec 2002 : Column 860W

for asylum in the United Kingdom (UK). Reliable information on the geographical location of applicants at the time of decision outcomes is not available by region. Information on the country of origin of asylum applicants is not available.

The table provides statistics on the outcomes of initial decisions made on applications for asylum in the UK in 2001 relating to principal applicants who were nationals of countries that are not members of the British Commonwealth.

Initial decisions(15),(16) on applications for asylum in the UK from non-Commonwealth nationals, excluding dependants, by type, and broken down by nationality, 2001

Total initial decisionsRecognised as a refugee and granted asylumNot recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leaveTotal refused
Europe
Albania1,710301601,525
Armenia14515130
Azerbaijan125205100
Belarussia51055500
Bosnia-Herzegovina1851020155
Bulgaria14510130
Croatia3901510360
Czech Republic8955890
Estonia265265
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia11,1653402,0158,810
Georgia205105190
Hungary1010
Kazakhstan40535
KyrgyzStan1010
Latvia3955390
Lithuania68530655
Macedonia6255140480
Moldova400545345
Other FSU (n/k)5
Poland80510790
Romania2,155702,080
Russia8702035815
Slovakia95590
Slovenia55
Tajikistan1510
Turkey7,0001952757,190
Turkmenistan55
Ukraine1,14510251,110
Uzbekistan3025
Other Europe40535
Total excluding UK Commonwealth30,6806852,88527,105
Americas
Argentina5
Bolivia55550
Brazil70565
Chile1510
Colombia7504055660
Cuba3025
Ecuador5101010490
El Salvador
Guatemala
Guyana55
Haiti55
Honduras
Mexico55
Nicaragua
Peru351025
Surinam5
Uruguay
Venezuela2020
Other Americas25520
Total excluding UK Commonwealth1,51060901,360
Middle East and North Africa
Bahrain5
Egypt1055590
Iran5,8255552954,975
Iraq8,8808151,8556,210
Israel100590
Jordan505545
Kuwait6051040
Lebanon4551520420
Libya3856080225
Morocco5050
Oman55
Palestine70560
Saudi Arabia2010
Syria2202015185
Tunisia45540
UAE55
Yemen2752525225
Total excluding UK Commonwealth16,5201,5202,32512,670
Africa
Algeria2,66560752,530
Angola1,255100495665
Benin1510
Burkina Faso2520
Burundi1,095225250625
CAR55
Chad10520580
Comoros
Congo88510570690
Democratic Republic of Congo2,4353103301,795
Djibouti55
Equatorial Guinea55
Eritrea1,300120235945
Ethiopia1,15585235835
Gabon55
Guinea110251075
Guinea-Bissau2525
Ivory Coast4851520445
Liberia190109090
Madagascar
Mali55
Mauritania1010
Niger2525
Rwanda965200320445
Senegal1515
Somalia8,3052,8451,9603,495
Sudan77012050595
Togo1502015110
Other Africa5
Total excluding UK Commonwealth21,9804,2704,16513,550
Far East
Afghanistan12,1552,2807,3702,530
Bhutan9015565
Burma (Myanmar)12530590
Cambodia55
China4,290151604,110
Hong Kong1515
Indonesia3855360
Japan55
Korea North1515
Korea South55
Macau55
Mongolia180180
Nepal1,0002515960
Philippines55550
Taiwan55
Thailand3030
Vietnam3901570300
Western Samoa
Other Far East55
Total excluding UK Commonwealth18,7352,3707,6358,730
Grand Total excluding UK Commonwealth89,4258,91017,10063,415

(15) Provisional figures rounded to nearest 5, with '—' = 1 or 2 (except percentages)

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


4 Dec 2002 : Column 863W

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of legal aid for an asylum seeker was in the last 12 months; how much was spent in the last year on legal aid for asylum seekers; and if she will make a statement. [84879]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.

The Legal Services Commission's systems do not record expenditure in such a way as to separate asylum seekers from immigration and nationality cases generally. Nor does the commission record information on individual cases 1 .

The Commission can provide an estimate of the average cost of publicly-funded work for the stages of an immigration and asylum case based upon claims received for work conducted during year 2001–02:


Payments for all immigration and asylum advice, assistance and representation in 2001–02 came to a total of £129.7 million.


Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers awaiting removal from the country his Department has failed to contact; what steps have been taken with regard to these asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [84881]

Beverley Hughes: I regret that the information requested is not available. Asylum applicants do not always inform the Immigration Service (IS) that they are leaving the United Kingdom.

We are making improvements in contact management, as detailed in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act, 2002. We will seek to maintain contact with all asylum seekers. Asylum seekers

4 Dec 2002 : Column 864W

will be informed of their obligations to provide up-to-date address details, and to report as required, during the induction process. Provision of support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is conditional on complying with these requirements. Those not accommodated by NASS will also be required to report. The IS will manage the contact process actively through the eight designated reporting centres, by using police stations and by visiting asylum seekers at their accommodation.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there were in Somerset in each of the last three years. [85062]

Beverley Hughes: The information is not available in the form requested.

The availability of information on the location of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom is currently linked to the support the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers in the United Kingdom either receive support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), local authorities or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or are supporting themselves.

Currently, asylum seekers provided accommodation by NASS are not dispersed to Somerset because NASS has no dispersal accommodation there. Some asylum seekers supported by NASS find their own accommodation and receive subsistence-only support from NASS. The following table shows the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) who were receiving subsistence-only support from NASS, and were resident in the South West region (which includes Somerset) at the requested dates:

Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) receiving subsistence-only support from NASS in the South West region(17)
End of December 2000145
End of December 2001350
End of September 2002540

(17) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. These figures exclude cases where support has been ceased.


From the grant claims sent to the Home Office by local authorities, as at the end of September 2002, and the end of September 2001, there were five asylum seekers (excluding dependants) who were being supported by Somerset Local Authority. 1

4 Dec 2002 : Column 865W

No information is held centrally on the numbers of asylum seekers supported by DWP or who support themselves living in Somerset.

Statistics on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in each region are available on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html


4 Dec 2002 : Column 866W


Next Section Index Home Page