| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
14 Apr 2003 : Column 530W—continued
Ministerial Meetings (United States Death Penalty)
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates Ministers in his Department have held meetings with members and officials of the United States administration since 8 June 2001 to discuss the use of the death penalty in the United States of America; where each meeting took place; which Ministers were involved in each meeting; which United States administration departments attended each meeting; and which members and officials from the United States administration attended each of these meetings. [107399]
Mr. Rammell: The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, and makes clear its position to the US Government at every appropriate opportunity. We do this not only in terms of general policy, but also on specific cases. We have also joined EU partners on regular demarches over the last two years on specific cases at State and Federal level.
The information needed to answer the detail of the hon. Member's question is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 531W
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with (a) local authorities and (b) other organisations on the involvement of local authorities in providing non-cash support, with particular reference to (i) educational and (ii) child welfare support, to asylum seekers detained within their region; and if he will take steps to permit local authorities to provide support to people subject to immigration control. [107559]
Beverley Hughes: Asylum seekers are not detained within regions. Generally speaking those detained under immigration powers are housed in removal centres. Destitute asylum seekers requesting that accommodation be provided will, as a matter of policy, be dispersed to designated areas.
It is Government policy that children of compulsory school age here as part of an asylum seeking family should receive education. This policy applies to all asylum seekers irrespective of whether they are in receipt of support.
The Children Act 1989 applies to all children in England and Wales irrespective of their immigration status. Within Scotland the relevant legislation is the Children Act (Scotland) 1995—which is similar but not identical to the Children Act 1989 which applies in England and Wales.
Section 54 and schedule 3 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 makes it clear that failed asylum seekers, EEA nationals based in other European countries and illegal entrants cannot claim benefits, including local authority support, unless they satisfy certain criteria. Children, but not their parents, are exempt from this provision.
Mr. Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions have taken place on the Asylum Seekers Dispersal Programme (a) by his Department and (b) by NASS with Stoke-on-Trent City Council. [107980]
Beverley Hughes: Stoke-on-Trent is one of the eight local authorities in the West Midlands which form the West Midlands Consortium and which provide accommodation under contract to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS). Discussions between NASS and the West Midlands Consortium took place on 20 January 2003 and 28 February 2003.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers from Iraq in each of the last three years (a) have had their applications refused and exhausted all their appeal options, (b) have left the UK, (c) are receiving hard cases support and (d) are receiving no support; and if he will make a statement on Government policy concerning future support of failed asylum seekers from Iraq. [108021]
14 Apr 2003 : Column 532W
Beverley Hughes: Information on asylum applications, initial decisions and appeals is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Information is not available on the numbers of asylum seekers in each of the last three years who have had their applications refused and exhausted all their appeal options, and could only be produced at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
The latest available data on removals of Iraqi nationals who have sought asylum at some stage are given in the table.
| January to September 2002(15) | 135 |
| 2001(15),(16) | 125 |
| 2000 | (17)— |
(13) Includes persons departing "voluntarily" after enforcement action has been initiated against them, persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration, and removals on safe third country grounds.
(14) Data have been estimated due to data quality issues.
(15) Provisional data.
(16) Figure may include a small number of dependants leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes.
(17) Not available.
Note:
Figures are rounded to nearest five.
Information on those asylum applicants who leave the country without informing the Home Office is not available.
Information on the number of Iraqis in receipt of hard case support could only be obtained by examination of individual case files. We do not have figures on the number of failed asylum seekers from Iraq remaining in the UK without support.
The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (the 1999 Act) and the Asylum Support Regulations require that, with the exception of families including children under the age of 18, support for failed asylum seekers must be terminated 21 days after the receipt of the final decision on the asylum claim. Failed asylum seekers who are unable to leave the UK immediately through no fault of their own and who have no other avenue of support can apply for the provision of accommodation under section 4.
Chemical or Biological Attacks
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers (a) police officers and (b) firemen have to require decontamination of members of the public in the event of chemical or biological attack in the UK. [102519]
Mr. Blunkett: The police have powers under Public Order legislation and common law to preserve the peace and prevent crime and will take whatever action may be
14 Apr 2003 : Column 533W
necessary to control the scene of an emergency in the interests of public safety. In appropriate circumstances public health legislation may also be used to protect the public. As part of preparations for the Civil Contingencies Bill, we are currently examining whether further to strengthen those powers to enhance protection of the public.
Children's Holiday Clubs
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safety checks are required by British holiday companies which run holiday clubs for children (a) abroad and (b) in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [107936]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: I have been asked to reply.
British holiday companies which run holiday clubs for children abroad are required to conform to the particular health and safety requirements of that country. Holiday companies which run holiday clubs for children in the UK must ensure that the children and staff are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. This includes a duty to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to their health and safety.
Section 3 of the HSW Act 1974 requires that every employer and self-employed person conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.
Entertainment Expenditure
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the total spending of his Department on entertainment in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92377]
Mr. Blunkett: Home Office expenditure on official entertainment is made in accordance with departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.
The following figures relate to the cost of entertaining non-civil servants (hospitality) and civil servants (management entertainment). Details of such expenditure are only held centrally for financial years 1997–98, to 2001–02. The figures for 2002–03 are forecasts.
The increase in expenditure from 1999–2000 is due to an element of incorrect expenditure coding, resulting coding, resulting in the inclusion of accommodation and subsistence costs. It is not possible, without disproportionate cost to separate these costs, and consequently these figures are not directly comparable with those provided in previous years.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 37,747 |
| 1998–99 | 44,415 |
| 1999–2000 | 94,370 |
| 2000–01 | 108,925 |
| 2001–02 | 75,808 |
| 2002–03 | 51,440 |
14 Apr 2003 : Column 534W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |