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11 Jun 2003 : Column 933W—continued
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Asylum Seekers
David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many asylum seekers are housed by the local authorities in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) Hull; and how many were housed by each in each month of the last two quarters for which figures are available. [116772]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
The information is not available in the form requested.
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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.
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 and receiving subsistence only support in Hull as at the end of each quarter since June 2002 1 :
| As at end of quarter | Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported in NASS accommodation in Hull | Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) receiving subsistence only support in Hull(19) |
|---|---|---|
| June 2002 | 995 | (20)— |
| September 2002 | 995 | (20)— |
| December 2002 | 1,010 | 35 |
| March 2003 | 940 | 50 |
(18) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. These figures exclude cases where support has been ceased.
(19) Figures on the location of cases receiving subsistence only support only became available below regional level from December 2002.
(20) Figures for subsistence only cases by Local Authority are only available from December 2002.
From grant claims sent to the Home Office by local authorities, as at the end of March 2003, there were the following additional number 4 of asylum seekers being supported by the local authorities in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire: (Asylum seekers are not necessarily resident in the Local Authority that supports them due to the voluntary dispersal programme which operated prior to NASS).
| Local Authority | Number of singles supported as at end March 2003 | Number of families supported as at end of March 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| East Riding | 5 | 0 |
| Hull | 20 | 5 |
- 4 Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. These figures exclude cases where support has been ceased.
Banking Services
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking through the work of the (a) Social Exclusion Unit and (b) Neighbourhood Renewal Unit to ensure that banking services, including ATMs, are available and accessible to all sectors of the community. [118159]
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Mrs. Roche: The Social Exclusion Unit examined the issue of access to financial services in deprived areas in Policy Action Team 14 (led by Her Majesty's Treasury), within the framework of the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. Much of the current work across Government on areas such as credit unions, basic bank accounts and universal banking services results from this work.
Within the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, a £15 million Deprived Urban Post Office Fund was established (Commitment 15), managed by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, that operates to help keep post offices open in England's most deprived urban areas. Post offices are often the only accessible financial service in the most deprived communities and they are used disproportionately by the more disadvantaged members of society, including those on low incomes and by the elderly.
The Post Office network now also offers access to basic bank accounts through the Universal Banking Services (Commitment 13), which are being promoted by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Work and Pensions and the Post Office. These services will give an important boost to financial inclusion as they will help to give the estimated 3.5 million adults in the UK currently without bank accounts access to them.
Homeless People
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many single (a) women and (b) men were housed in bed and breakfasts (i) in each of the last five years for which figures exist and (ii) on 1 April 2003. [117995]
Mrs. Roche: Estimates of the type of homeless household in bed and breakfast accommodation have only been made from 31 March 2001. The available estimates for the number of single homeless women and men in bed and breakfast accommodation in England is shown in the following table:
| Women | Men | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2001 | 1,520 | 3,250 |
| 31 March 2002 | 1,760 | 3,430 |
Note:
Figures for March 2002 include hotel annexe accommodation where some or all basic facilities are shared.
Source:
ODPM P1(E) Annual Supplement housing return
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funds were made available for Castle Point borough council to eradicate bed and breakfast housing for families by 31 March. [117997]
Mrs. Roche: Castle Point borough council has been allocated £25,000 in 200304 specifically to help the authority reduce the number of homeless families with children in Bed and Breakfast hotels (B&B). This is in addition to the £20,000 allocated to the authority by the Homelessness Directorate to assist the council deliver an effective homelessness service including meeting the national commitment of ensuring that by March 2004,
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no homeless family with children is placed in B&B other than in an emergency and even then for no more than six weeks.
Minimum Income Guarantee
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate how much extra grant would have been gained by Cambridgeshire in 2003–04 if an additional 1,000 pensioners in the county received the minimum income guarantee. [117977]
Mr. Raynsford: The number of pensioners receiving the minimum income guarantee is not a factor in distributing formula grant to councils, so Cambridgeshire's settlement for 2003–04 would be not be affected.
Social Housing
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new social houses are planned to be built in each of the next five years in Shrewsbury and Atcham. [115027]
Mr. McNulty: This information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many social houses were built in Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1992. [115031]
Mr. McNulty: The numbers of social houses (registered social landlord and local authority) reported by the local authority to have been built in Shrewsbury and Atcham are tabled as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 0 |
| 1993 | 20 |
| 1994 | 21 |
| 1995 | 36 |
| 1996 | 24 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 |
| 1999 | 2 |
| 2000 | 15 |
| 2001 | 26 |
| 2002 | 4 |
Telephone Masts
Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many occasions in each of the last five calendar years for which figures are available the failure of a local authority to issue a refusal within the 42-day notification period for the erection of mobile telephone masts has been the subject of a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman; how many complaints have been upheld; and if he will make a statement. [117399]
Mr. McNulty: The Local Government Ombudsman's Office does not record the number of complaints received by subject matter to the level of detail requested, this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, they have issued three reports following complaints where a local authority has failed to comment on a telecommunications development within the time period allowed at the time the proposal was received. The details are provided as follows:
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| Year | LGO Reports issuedfollowing a complaint |
|---|---|
| 2001 | November—Dacorum |
| 2002 | July—Swindon |
| July—Blyth Valley |
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