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Asylum Seekers

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers there were in (a) Hull and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in each month since 1997; how long each application took to process; and how many applications were (i) successful and (ii) rejected; [97734]

(2) how many asylum seekers housed in Hull and the East Riding have received financial support from the National Asylum Support Service; and what benefits were paid to asylum seekers prior to the introduction of the National Asylum Support Service in each quarter since 1997. [97733]

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

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

Information on outstanding asylum cases, initial decision outcomes and asylum case processing times relating to persons in particular areas of the UK is unavailable as are statistics regarding the location of asylum seekers not in receipt of support.

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NASS does not disperse asylum seekers to any areas in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The following table shows the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) accommodated by NASS in the Hull cluster area as at the end of each quarter since June 2000: ¹

Date	Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported in NASS accommodation in the Hull cluster area
As at end June 2000	(15)
As at end September 2000	380
As at end December 2000	960
As at end March 2001	1,015
As at end June 2001	915
As at end September 2001	1,000
As at end December 2001	1,035
As at end March 2002	1,035
As at end June 2002	995
As at end September 2002	995

⁽¹⁴⁾ All figures have been rounded to the nearest five, figures between one and two are represented by a

⁽¹⁵⁾.

Figures exclude cases where support has been ceased.

Additionally, some asylum seekers receive subsistence only support from NASS or are disbenefited cases ² . Statistics on the location of these cases are currently only available at regional level. The following table shows the total number of subsistence only and disbenefited cases (including dependants) which were supported in the Yorkshire & Humberside region (which includes the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull) as at the end of each quarter since December 2000:

Date	Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) receiving subsistence only support, or being supported as a disbenefited case, and staying in the Yorks & Humberside region
As at end December 2000	85
As at end March 2001	115
As at end June 2001	140
As at end September 2001	215
As at end December 2001	310
As at end March 2002	510
As at end June 2002	600
As at end September 2002	735

⁽¹⁶⁾ Disbenefited cases are cases which were previously supported under the main UK. benefits system and have been moved onto NASS support. Some of these cases have remained in the original social services accommodation.

From grant claims sent to the Home Office by local authorities, as at the end of September 2002, there were the following additional number of asylum seekers being supported by the local authorities in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire:

Local Authority	Number of singles supported as at end of Sep 2002	Number of families supported as at end of Sep 2002
East Riding	5	0
Hull	35	5

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In previous years, information is only available on the number of weeks' support paid for by local authorities rather than the number of asylum seekers actually supported.

Prior to the introduction of NASS, asylum applicants claiming asylum on arrival were eligible to receive urgent case payments under income support arrangements. Payments equated to 90 per cent. of income support rates.

Asylum seekers claiming asylum in country were eligible to receive support from their local authority and payments were made to meet their essential living needs.

Statistics on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in each region are available on the Home Office's Immigration and Asylum Statistics website. Detailed figures will next be published on 28 February 2003 in the bulletin covering quarter four of 2002:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Child Rescue Alert

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions he has held with Sussex police about continuing to work with the Community Alerts; [114722]

(2) how many police officers in Sussex have registered with Child Rescue Alert;. [114977]

(3) what estimate was made of the number of likely subscribers to the Phase 2 text message service of Child Rescue Alert, piloted by Sussex police; [114975]

(4) how much money has been spent on publicising Child Rescue Alert by Sussex police. [114976]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Office officials have held discussions with both the Sussex Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers about various aspects of the Child Rescue pilot. The discussions have not addressed the arrangements between the force and organisations that have been contracted to help provide the service.

I understand from the Chief Constable that every Sussex Police-owned mobile phone was registered at the beginning of the scheme, a total of 1,687 phones. There was also an internal publicity drive to encourage staff to register both private and family members' phones. This marketing drive also explored links with external community partners and consequently a substantial number of mobile phones owned by East Sussex County Council, Brighton and Hove Council and West Sussex County Council have been registered.

I further understand that, on the basis that some 700,000 people in the county have mobile phones, the force estimated that approximately 300,000 people would register for the Phase two text message service. It conducted its largest ever leaflet distribution campaign, in conjunction with Neighbourhood Watch, which resulted in some 15,000 people registering initially. This number may since have increased.

The Sussex Police estimate that they have spent approximately £19,000 on publicising the scheme between 25 September 2002 and 1 May 2003.

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Cleveland Police

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the clear-up rate was for Cleveland police for (a) burglary of dwellings, (b) violence against the person, (c) vehicle crime, (d) robbery and (e) sexual offences in each year since 1996. [114293]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The requested information is given in the table.

Clear-up/detection rates for Cleveland policePercentage

	Burglary in a dwelling	Violence against the person	Vehicle crime	Robbery	Sexual offences
1996(17)	18	70	13(20)	25	69
1997(17)	17	67	14(20)	25	79
1998–99(18)	11	67	9(21)	19	80
1999–2000(19)	11	64	7(22)	19	84
2000–01	12	67	7(22)	17	79
2001–02	12	64	7(22)	18	82

⁽¹⁷⁾ Crime statistics were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997 and on a financial year basis thereafter.

⁽¹⁸⁾ Percentage cleared up/detected using the expanded coverage and revised counting rules for recorded crime, which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

⁽¹⁹⁾ Revised guidance for recording detections was implemented on 1 April 1999.

⁽²⁰⁾ This figure is based on the offences of aggravated vehicle taking, theft from a vehicle, and theft of a motor vehicle.

⁽²¹⁾ This figure is based on the offences included within 'note 4', plus vehicle interference/tampering, and criminal damage to a vehicle.

⁽²²⁾ This figure is based on the offences within 'note 5', plus racially aggravated criminal damage to a vehicle.

There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which would have the tendency to increase the number of offences counted. Numbers of offences for years before and after this date, and figures calculated from them, may therefore not be directly comparable. There was also a change in counting rules for detections on 1 April 1999. The new instructions provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. Numbers of detections before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

Drug-related Crime

Mr. Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar), 9 May 2003, Official Report, column 641W, if he will make a statement on the results of research carried out by the Home Office into the proportion of crimes that are drug-related. [115938]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 3 June 2003]: The Answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 19 May 2003, Official Report, column 641W, gives details of the percentage of recorded crime figures that are specifically drug offences (such as possession). Whilst recorded crime figures include statistics on these drugs offences, they do not record whether other crimes, such as burglary or theft, are related to an offender's drug misuse.

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However, the Home Office sponsored New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) research programme, which involved interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, provides an insight into the proportion of crimes that are drug related.

Analysis of the data from the first eight sites in the survey, collected during 1999–2000, shows that 65 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for one or more illegal drug, with up to 29 per cent. testing positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack). Whilst users of both heroin and cocaine/crack represent just under one-quarter of all arrestees interviewed in NEW-ADAM, they were responsible for more than three-fifths of all the illegal income reported.

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