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17 Sept 2003 : Column 797W—continued

Vocational Qualifications

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to improve the collection of data on the number of people who enter higher education on the basis of (a) vocational and (b) work-based learning qualifications. [129525]

Alan Johnson: The main source of data on the entry qualifications of HE students is the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record. This already identifies students with vocational qualifications and non-academic qualifications (such as accreditation of prior learning). The student record is reviewed regularly to ensure that it collects data which are relevant and fit for purpose, for instance the 2002/03 return has been enhanced to identify students funded by the University for Industry.

CABINET OFFICE

Information Technology

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Cabinet Office spent on IT licences in 2002–03. [124425]

Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office spent £3,569,807 on IT licences in 2002–03.

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Cabinet Office spent on (a) IT hardware, (b) software and (c) maintenance in 2002–03. [124432]

Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office spent £4,094,292 on IT hardware, £1,800,331 on software and £11,249,997 on maintenance in 2002–03.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Counter-terrorism

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will conduct counter-terrorism exercises with respect to (a) aviation and (b) shipping. [R] [129632]

Mr. Blunkett: Our current counter-terrorism exercise programme involves both aviation and maritime scenarios.

Acting Chief Constable Richard Thomas

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the investigation into the alleged conduct of the acting Chief Constable Richard Thomas of Gwent police. [129868]

Ms Blears: Gwent police informs me that the West Mercia police conducted the investigation. The total of all invoices received and paid by Gwent police amounts to £20,476.66.

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Asylum Seekers

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in his Department deal with immigration and asylum issues, broken down by section; and what the function of each section is. [128755]

Beverley Hughes: The number of full-time equivalent staff in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate by business area, at 30 June 2003 was:

Number
Immigration Service—(including border controls and removals)6,500
Asylum support, asylum casework and appeals2,830
Managed Migration (applications for leave to remain, nationality and work permits)1,690
Non-operational (includes policy development and corporate services)1,880

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance is given to successful asylum applicants to help them integrate within their new community. [129108]

Beverley Hughes: Our strategy "Full and Equal Citizens", which we will be reviewing shortly, sets out the Government's cross-departmental strategy for the integration of refugees. It is monitored by the National Refugee Integration Forum, which I chair. In addition to the work of other Departments as set out in the strategy, the Home Office itself helps fund a number of community development programmes being taken forward by the leading national and regional refugee organisations. In addition, we fund small community groups working with refugees through the Refugee Community Development Fund. The Challenge Fund and the European Refugee Fund have also been established on the basis of providing a carefully evaluated programme of projects to identify what does work in integration.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been (a) refused and (b) granted asylum since March 2003. [129473]

Beverley Hughes: The table shows the outcomes of initial decisions made on applicants aged under-18 at the time of their decision. These figures exclude dependants, and are based on the claimed age of applicants. The figures will overstate the true number of initial decisions since some applicants aged 18 or over claim to be younger than that in their application. Initial decisions may relate to applications made in earlier periods.

Initial decisions outcomes for asylum applicants claiming to be aged under-18 at time of initial decision(9),(10),(11),(12)

Principal applicants (cases)2002Q1 2003 (January to March)Q2 2003 (April to June)
Total initial decisions11,2003,0851,690
Granted asylum96021085
Granted exceptional leave6,6201,835n/a
Granted humanitarian protectionn/an/a10
Granted discretionary leaven/an/a925
Refused3,6251,040670

(9) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.

(10) Excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.

(11) Figures may overstate because some applicants aged 18 or over may claim to be younger on leaving their country of origin.

(12) Data are provisional.


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Information on the number and outcomes of initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Turkish citizens applied for asylum in the UK in 2001; and how many were successful in their application. [129479]

Beverley Hughes: 3,695 nationals of Turkey applied for asylum in the United Kingdom in 2001 (excluding dependants). In 2001, there were 7,825 initial decisions made on asylum applications from Turkish nationals, 210 grants of asylum, 275 grants of exceptional leave to remain (ELR), and 7,340 refusals. Data on initial decisions in 2001 may relate to applications made in earlier years.

During 2001, 1,840 appeals against Home Office decisions on Turkish asylum claims were determined by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA). Of these, 485 were allowed, 1,295 were dismissed and 60 cases were withdrawn. Appeal outcomes in 2001 may relate to initial decisions made in earlier years. The figures exclude any further appeals (Immigration Appeals Tribunal, Court of Appeal, judicial review, House of Lords).

Information on the number of asylum applications and initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Charities

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the organisations that responded, and how they responded, to the idea of self-regulation contained within "Charities and Not-For-Profits: A Modern Legal Framework", giving the type of respondent. [129154]

Fiona Mactaggart: The recommendations on self-regulation in fundraising were made by the Strategy Unit in its review of charity law and regulation ("Private Action, Public Benefit", published September 2002).

In its response to the review ("Charities and Not-for- Profits: a Modern Legal Framework", published 16 July 2003) the Government supported the idea that self-regulation should be the first resort in improving fundraising standards.

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The following people and organisations commented on the recommendations on self-regulation in fundraising:


17 Sept 2003 : Column 801W

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Levels of support by these respondents for the Strategy Unit's recommendations for self-regulation in fundraising, broken down by type of respondent, are shown in the table:

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Type of respondentClear supportSome supportNon-committalSome oppositionClear opposition
Small charities————1
Independent schools—————
Large charities1728152
Medium charities73——1
Umbrella bodies135—21
Others—————
Charity workers32—11
Professional advisers311112
Special interest bodies252—1
Government—4136
Umbrella bodies for small charities5311—
Voluntary organisations3————
Social enterprises—————
Professional bodies—4———
Academics—————
Total536561315

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