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17 Nov 2003 : Column 663W—continued
Western Sahara
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the oil industry which are active in the Western Sahara. [130573]
Work-related Stress
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of work related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement. [136851]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently keep statistics on work-related stress as a sickness absence type. No compensation has been paid to employees because of work-related stress in the last three years. All FCO staff (and dependants overseas) can discuss work-related (and personal) concerns in confidence with a trained welfare officer.
Since March 2002 the FCO has also provided a counselling and advice service to staff in the UK, and for staff and dependants overseas, via an Employee
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Assistance Programme. Stress, whether or not related to work, is one of the areas covered. The cost is approximately £50,000 pa.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts his Department has had with the Daily News in Zimbabwe. [137635]
Mr. Mullin: Our High Commission in Harare maintains regular contact with media organisations in Zimbabwe, including the Daily News, as part of its routine duties. High Commission representatives also attended the court hearings that followed the Daily News closure on 12 September 2003. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has since issued two press statements on 15 and 20 September condemning the Government of Zimbabwe for its harassment of the free and independent media in Zimbabwe. Copies of the press release are available on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases.
Representatives from the Daily News were in London recently to raise awareness of the plight of the newspaper. I met them on 6 November.
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met President Mbeki to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe. [137638]
Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met President Mbeki in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September. They discussed Zimbabwe.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to urge the Commonwealth to expel Zimbabwe. [138407]
Mr. Mullin: Commonwealth decisions are made by consensus. The issue will be discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting next month.
The Commonwealth Secretary General has listed five benchmarks where there would have to be progress before Zimbabwe could be re-admitted to the Councils of the Commonwealth:
- (i) Achieving national reconciliation and dialogue;
(ii) Repealing legislation that prejudices freedom of speech, of the press and of peaceful assembly;
(iii) Stopping harassment of the political opposition and civil society;
(iv) Addressing the recommendations of the two Commonwealth election observer group reports;
(v) Engaging the Commonwealth Secretariat and UN Development Programme on a proper land reform programme.
We see no case for readmitting Zimbabwe to the Councils of the Commonwealth while it remains in breach of these benchmarks and of the Harare Principles.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to press the United Nations (a) to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe and (b) to debate the issue of Zimbabwe. [138408]
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Mr. Mullin: We maintain regular contact with the UN Secretary General, the UN Development Programme and the World Food Programme about Zimbabwe. We supported EU resolutions at the UN Human Rights Commission in 2002 and 2003. Regrettably these resolutions fell to 'No Action' motions.
As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear to the House on 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 524, we would only go to the United Nations Security Council for a resolution when we believed that we would win one. Tabling a resolution on UN sanctions would be certain to fail and would only hand Mugabe a gratuitous victory.
We will continue to encourage the UN to focus on the crisis in Zimbabwe.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Seekers
Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from the People's Republic of China sought asylum in the UK in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003 to date. [134202]
Beverley Hughes: The table shows the number of asylum applications, excluding dependants, lodged in the UK by nationals of the People's Republic of China in 2001, 2002 and from January to June 2003. The next publication on asylum applications and other asylum statistics covering the third quarter of 2003 (July-September) will be available on 27 November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
| Asylum applications lodged in UK | |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,390 |
| 2002(99) | 3,675 |
| 2003—January to June(99) | 1,620 |
(98) All data are rounded to the nearest five.
(99) Provisional data.
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the states regarded by his Department for the purposes of fast-tracking asylum applications as democratic. [132233]
Beverley Hughes: Applications are considered suitable for fast tracking if, upon initial screening, they are believed to be straightforward and capable of being decided within about seven to 10 days, and the applicant is from a country on the Fast Track Processes Suitability List (previously referred to as the "Oakington List"). A country will be added to the list only if we consider that it produces some types of claim which are capable of being decided quickly. There are no other specific requirements.
The countries (or part countries) presently appearing on the list are:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Congo, Cyprus, Czech
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- Republic, Djibouti, Ecuador, Estonia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iraq, Ivory Coast, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, St. Lucia, Serbia and Montenegro, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somaliland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Mr. Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources have been allocated to citizen advice bureaux specifically for their work with asylum seekers in each of the last five years. [132690]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 20 October 2003]: The National Asylum Support Service grant funds six voluntary sector organisations to provide reception assistance and one stop services to asylum seekers. The citizens advice bureaux are not one of the organisations funded to assist asylum seekers.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) on what basis and (b) when decision making on Iraqi asylum applications resumed. [133595]
Beverley Hughes: On 16 June I announced the resumption with immediate effect of decision making on Iraqi asylum applications. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-West (Mr. Best) on 15 July 2003, Official Report, column 266W.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy regarding travel arrangements for asylum seekers to visit relatives in the UK. [133955]
Beverley Hughes: The provision of support to eligible asylum seekers applying for asylum in the UK is intended to meet essential living needs. Regulation 9(4) of the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 provides that costs of travel are not to be regarded as an essential living need. National Asylum Support Service (NASS) does not provide funding for asylum seekers to travel by taxi to visit family or friends.
NASS does not make arrangements for supported asylum seekers to visit relatives living elsewhere in the UK. Neither does it make arrangements for those seeking asylum outside the country to travel to the UK to see relatives.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there were in (a) Hull and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in each month in the last two quarters for which figures are available; how long each application took to process; and how many applications were successful. [134052]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 23 October 2003]: 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
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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 the last two quarters for which figures are available.
| As at end of quarter | Number of asylum seekers (including dependants supported in NASS accommodation in Hull(100) | Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) receiving subsistence only support in Hull |
|---|---|---|
| March 2003 | 940 | 50 |
| June 2003 | 75 | 60 |
From grant claims sent to the Home Office by local authorities, as at the end of March 2003, there were the following additional number 2 of asylum seekers being supported by the local authorities in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire:
- 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum due to rounding.
- 2 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 |
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: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1 .html
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers, broken down by country of origin, applied in the (a) fourth quarter of 2002, (b) first quarter of 2003 and (c) second quarter of 2003. [134090]
Beverley Hughes: The table shows the number of asylum applicants, by nationality, for the last three published quarters. This data is not available by country of origin.
Information on asylum applications and other asylum statistics is published quarterly. The next publication covering the third quarter of 2003 (July—September 2003) will be available on the 27 November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
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| Quarter 4 2002 | Quarter 1 2003 | Quarter 2 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | |||
| Albania | 250 | 230 | 140 |
| Czech Republic | 120 | 20 | 20 |
| SAM(101) | 365 | 345 | 175 |
| Poland | 235 | 35 | 20 |
| Romania | 360 | 245 | 95 |
| Russia | 85 | 70 | 65 |
| Turkey | 805 | 645 | 585 |
| Ukraine | 100 | 95 | 65 |
| Other Former USSR | 675 | 360 | 210 |
| Other Former Yugo | 80 | 60 | 20 |
| Others | 50 | 20 | 20 |
| Total: | 3,125 | 2,125 | 1,415 |
| Americas | |||
| Colombia | 110 | 90 | 60 |
| Ecuador | 90 | 65 | 40 |
| Others | 585 | 470 | 275 |
| Total: | 785 | 625 | 370 |
| Middle East | |||
| Iran | 820 | 655 | 625 |
| Iraq | 4,275 | 2,135 | 635 |
| Others | 350 | 265 | 230 |
| Total: | 5,445 | 3,055 | 1,490 |
| Africa | |||
| Algeria | 245 | 210 | 100 |
| Angola | 340 | 300 | 165 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 690 | 460 | 300 |
| Ethiopia | 225 | 145 | 120 |
| Gambia | 45 | 15 | 30 |
| Ghana | 80 | 70 | 80 |
| Ivory Coast | 195 | 205 | 90 |
| Kenya | 115 | 85 | 60 |
| Nigeria | 320 | 350 | 250 |
| Rwanda | 145 | 120 | 70 |
| Sierra Leone | 220 | 165 | 85 |
| Somalia | 1,805 | 1,515 | 900 |
| Sudan | 270 | 95 | 135 |
| Tanzania | 10 | 10 | 5 |
| Uganda | 225 | 225 | 165 |
| Zimbabwe | 2740 | 1,075 | 815 |
| Others | 1,350 | 1,200 | 825 |
| Total: | 9,020 | 6,255 | 4,200 |
| Asia | |||
| Afghanistan | 1,315 | 950 | 485 |
| Bangladesh | 235 | 205 | 190 |
| China | 890 | 915 | 705 |
| India | 425 | 490 | 645 |
| Pakistan | 555 | 490 | 375 |
| Sri Lanka | 420 | 300 | 245 |
| Others | 490 | 560 | 440 |
| Total | 4,335 | 3,910 | 3,090 |
| Other and unknown nationalities | 50 | 30 | 15 |
| Grand Total | 22,760 | 16,000 | 10,585 |
(100) Provisional data rounded to the nearest five.
(101) Serbia and Montenegro (SAM) replaced Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) from 5 February 2003. SAM comprises of the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Montenegro, and the province of Kosovo (administered by the UN on an interim basis, since 1999).
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is given by the National Asylum Support Service to the health of an asylum seeker when a decision to disperse that asylum seeker is made. [134261]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 23 October 2003]: NASS will consider all the information known to it when deciding whether dispersal is appropriate. Where it is known this will include consideration of an asylum seeker's, or a dependant's, current medical condition.
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Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers the National Asylum Support Service has placed in (a) Somerset, (b) Devon, (c) Plymouth, (d) Bristol, (e) Bath, (f) Swindon, (g) Wiltshire and (h) Dorset in each month since January. [134551]
Beverley Hughes: The information is not available in the form requested.
Figures in respect of asylum seekers in receipt of accommodation support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) are published at the end of each quarter.
Figures for the areas requested as at the end of each quarter since January 2003 are shown in the table.
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: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
| Area | Asylum seekers in receipt of MASS accommodation support(at end March 2003) | Asylum seekers in receipt of MASS accommodation support(at end June 2003) |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 460 | 445 |
| Bath | 0 | 0 |
| Somerset (other) | 0 | 0 |
| Plymouth | 360 | 415 |
| Exeter | 65 | 55 |
| Devon (other) | 0 | 0 |
| Swindon | 15 | 55 |
| Wiltshire (other) | 0 | 0 |
| Dorset | 0 | 0 |
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his intended use of zones of protection to (a) house asylum seekers and (b) process their claims. [134593]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 27 October 2003]: The UK ideas were designed to stimulate a debate on improving the international asylum system. Our thinking continues to evolve. But we remain focused on the provision of better protection in asylum seekers' own regions to reduce the motivation to cross continents to make a claim; and to reduce the burden on the asylum system from those misusing it to gain entry to the UK for economic or other reasons. This is not about shifting the burden to poorer regions.
The majority of the world's refugees are already unable to access asylum systems in the European Union. It is therefore essential to strengthen protection in their region of origin, close to their homes, in order to ensure accessible and effective protection for people fleeing persecution and conflict. We have been working closely with UNHCR, the ED and others on this.
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish regional protection zones for asylum seekers outside the UK; and what recent discussions he has had with EU Governments on this matter. [134659]
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Beverley Hughes: The UK's proposals were designed to stimulate a debate on improving the international asylum system. Our thinking continues to evolve and we are engaged in dialogue with the UNHCR, the European Commission and others to consider how we might put these ideas into practice. We are thinking less in terms of specific protection areas or 'zones' and more in terms of strengthening capacity in regions of origin. The aim would be to reduce the motivation to cross continents to make a claim; and to reduce the burden on the asylum system from those misusing it to gain entry to the UK for economic or other reasons.
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who have applied for asylum in the UK were resident in each constituency in the UK in the last period for which figures are available. [134729]
Beverley Hughes : I regret that the requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information is held on the location of all asylum seekers supported by NASS and figures are published at local authority level in the regular quarterly asylum statistics on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html, and from the Library of the House. More detailed data on those supported by NASS, at parliamentary constituency level, is available on request.
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are waiting to have their cases finally determined (a) 12 to 18 months, (b) 18 to 24 months, (c) two to three years and (d) three or more years after it was lodged. [135084]
Beverley Hughes: Information on final decisions is not readily available and complete information could only be obtained by examination of individual case files to obtain information on the outcomes of initial decisions, of subsequent appeals to the Immigration Appellate Authority and the Tribunal, and of cases which have been reconsidered. This would incur disproportionate cost. 31,800 cases were awaiting an initial decision at the end of June 2003 (the latest date for which published figures are available); of these 8,900 cases were work in progress ie the application had been outstanding for six months or less.
As at 30 June 2003, there were an estimated 20,000 appeals lodged with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate which had not been sent to the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA); a proportion of appeals lodged do not result in appeal bundles being sent to the IAA. The total asylum work in progress in the IAA as at 30 June 2003, was 29,500 (19,900 at the Adjudicator Tier, 5,000 applications for permission to appeal to the Tribunal, and 4,700 Tribunal Appeals).
Provisional data show that 74 per cent. of applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases 1 ) received in 2002–03 were decided and served within two months. This exceeded the Government's target of 65 per cent. for 2002–03, and was a significant increase on the corresponding figure of 61 per cent. for 2001–02.
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Information on the number of asylum applications awaiting initial decision and the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
- 1 Cases which may be the responsibility of other EU member states under the Dublin Convention.
Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government has to establish an independent country documentation centre in relation to asylum applications. [135337]
Beverley Hughes: There are no plans to establish an independent documentation centre. We recently established the independent Advisory Panel on Country Information under the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 to make recommendations on the country information material produced by the Home Office and help to ensure that it is as accurate, objective and up to date as possible. The Panel is chaired by Prof. Stephen Castles of Oxford University and held its first meeting on 2 September 2003.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to increase the financial support to local authorities responsible for the care of asylum seeker children as a result of the judgment of the Administrative Court in the case of Behre and Others v Hillingdon London Borough Council. [135453]
Beverley Hughes: Officials across Government are working together to resolve issues arising from the recent Court judgment. An announcement about the rate of grant will be made as soon as practicable after these decisions have been concluded.
The grant paid by the Home office to local social services departments is intended to cover the direct and immediate costs arising from the placement of children.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that children of asylum seekers receive education. [136785]
Beverley Hughes: It is Government policy that children of compulsory school age here as part of an asylum seeking family should receive education. This applies to all children, not just those whose parents are in receipt of support. Currently, with the exception of the small number of families who are detained, children are entitled to attend mainstream schools. For those who are detained a modular programme of education is provided at the relevant removal centre if detention is expected to last for more than a very short period. In the vast majority of cases, the detention of families with children will last for no more than a very short period, usually less than 14 days and often for only a few hours or days prior to removal.
In respect of children placed in accommodation centres, the operators of the centres will be required to provide education to children which mirrors that provided in mainstream schools.
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mistaken asylum removals there were in the latest period for which figures are available. [137103]
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Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to assign National Asylum Seekers Service hard case support to failed asylum seekers in Wales. [137104]
Beverley Hughes: There is nothing to prevent the majority of asylum seekers who have received a final negative decision on their claim from leaving the country immediately. Failed asylum seekers unable to leave due to circumstances entirely beyond their control may seek the short-term provision of accommodation under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, as amended. NASS has entered into an arrangement with the west London YMCA to provide accommodation in these circumstances. Accommodation will be in one of a number of YMCAs across England.
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reinstate embarkation controls at United Kingdom borders. [137105]
Beverley Hughes: My hon. Friend will be aware from my written answer of 10 July that we are keeping the option for embarkation controls under review while exploring the extent to which new technology which were removed by the previous conservative administration could offer us more efficient ways of checking those leaving the country. Short term embarkation exercises continue and during October a number of such exercises took place at airports throughout the United Kingdom.
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants have become homeless after their claims for asylum have failed since 1 May. [137106]
Beverley Hughes: This information is not available. The legislation requires that, with the exception of families including children under the age of 18, support must be terminated 21 days after the receipt of the final negative decision on the asylum claim. NASS does not have information on the whereabouts of asylum seekers evicted from NASS properties.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 808W, on asylum seekers, if he will make a statement on (a) the proportion of failed asylum seekers who notified a new address after their final refusal and (b) the proportion of those visited by the UK Immigration Service who were found living at the recorded address in the last 12 months. [137713]
Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) maintains databases containing address details for asylum seekers which are also recorded in the individuals' Home Office file. All applicants and their representatives are told of their obligation to notify the Home Office of any subsequent change of address. This may be done, either in person at one of 11 designated Reporting Centres or by post to the Change of Address Team (CoAT), based in Croydon.
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The Casework Information Database (CID) is the main information technology (IT) system used by IND and allows information to be updated upon receipt throughout the asylum process. There is no link within CID between a change of address and the stage in the asylum process at which it occurred, e.g. before or after final refusal, and therefore the information requested is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
UK Immigration Service visits to asylum seekers' home addresses are not routinely recorded on the national CID database. Again, the information requested is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for his policy not to allow asylum seekers to work while they await a decision on their case. [138269]
Beverley Hughes: We are determined to maintain a robust asylum process which helps those fleeing persecution and not those who wish to come to the United Kingdom to work.
We believe that allowing new asylum applicants to work could act as a pull factor for those with unfounded asylum claims. Those migrants who wish to come here for the purpose of employment have a range of schemes open to them and we continue to develop more routes to allow people to come here and work legally in ways which boost our economy.
Until 23 July 2002 there was a concession which allowed asylum seekers to seek permission to take employment if no decision had been made on their application within six months of it being lodged.
By the time we abolished the concession in July last year it had become largely irrelevant and only applicable to a minority of applicants. This was due to the increased speed with which we delivered initial decisions on applications.
Those who were given permission as part of the concession will retain their permission to work until they receive a final decision on their application for asylum. We have also maintained a discretion to grant permission to work in exceptional cases.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on European Union asylum policies; what progress has been made with the creation of a common European asylum system; and what measures need to be put into place before this can be established. [138270]
Beverley Hughes: The Tampere European Council on 15–16 October 1999 set out that the Common European Asylum System should, in its first phase, include the following: a clear and workable determination of the State responsible for the examination of an asylum application; common standards for a fair and efficient asylum procedure; common minimum conditions of reception of asylum seekers; and the approximation of rules on the recognition and content of refugee status. The Tampere European Council also called for an agreement on the issue of temporary protection for
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displaced persons and the completion of work on the system for the identification of asylum seekers (Eurodac).
Of the measures described above, the Council of Ministers have adopted the following: the Council Regulation of 18 February 2003 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national (known as "Dublin II"); the Council Regulation of 11 December 2000 concerning the establishment of "Eurodac" for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of the Dublin Convention; the Council Directive of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof; and the Council Directive of 27 January 2003 laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers.
Negotiations are ongoing on the proposal for a Council Directive on minimum standards for the qualification and the status of third-country nationals and stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the proposal for a Council Directive on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much asylum seekers cost public funds in the last 12 months, per head of tax paying population. [138283]
Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 30 October 2003, Official Report, column 320W.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government will change its policy of deporting persons from the UK who come from countries which will accede to EU membership in May 2004; and what the reasons are for refusing leave to remain to people from accession countries. [138466]
Beverley Hughes: Nationals of the new member states will have full free movement rights from accession.
We currently intend to maintain full immigration control towards nationals of the new member states until accession. This means that we will continue to remove nationals from the new member states in the same circumstances as we do at present. The Government considers that, as a matter of policy, this approach is necessary in order to maintain an effective immigration control. In addition, the United Kingdom is under no legal obligation to grant free movement rights to nationals from the new member states before 1 May 2004.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to monitor the whereabouts of asylum seekers affected by Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and if he will make a statement. [138479]
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Beverley Hughes: As part of the initial screening process asylum seekers, including those affected by Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (NIA Act 2002), are required to provide proof of residence at a particular address. Residence at that address is then made a condition of their temporary admission into the United Kingdom, to which other conditions may be added, principally a requirement that the asylum seeker reports regularly to the Immigration Service (IS). The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) maintains databases containing the information supplied, which is also recorded in the individual Home Office (HO) file.
All applicants, and their representatives, are informed of their obligation to notify the Home Office of any subsequent change of address. This may be done either, in writing to the Change of Address Team (CoAT) in Croydon or, in person to the nearest IS Reporting Centre or Local Enforcement Office (LEO).
The IS has 11 designated Reporting Centres managing reporting regimes and in addition a person may be required to report to mobile IS staff at a police station near their address. The reporting network will be further expanded by the planned introduction of both Accommodation and Induction Centres.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from faith groups concerning Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. [139231]
Beverley Hughes: There is no record of any representations from faith groups about Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it became his Department's policy not to enforce removals of people refused asylum to (a) Iraq, (b) Zimbabwe and (c) Somalia; and what the reasons are for this policy in each case. [124239]
Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1065.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum applications within the last 12 months for which figures are available were given initial decisions (a) within two weeks, (b) within two months, (c) within six months and (d) after a period of more than six months. [135429]
Beverley Hughes: In the 12 months from April 2002 to March 2003 (the latest period for which published figures are available), 74 per cent. of substantive applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases 1 ) were decided and served within two months and 9 per cent. were decided and served within two weeks. This compares to an average of 20 months when the right hon. Member for Folkstone and Hythe was Home Secretary. The two months figure of 74 per cent. exceeded the Government's target of 65 per cent. for 2002–03 and performance is on track to meet the target for 2003–04 of 75 per cent. The corresponding data requested for initial decisions decided and served within six months will be published in the next quarterly asylum statistics, data for initial decisions decided and served after a period of six months are not available.
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Information on the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
- 1 Cases which may be the responsibility of other EU member states under the Dublin Convention.
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to have determined and finalised asylum cases which qualify under the asylum amnesty he announced recently. [137829]
Beverley Hughes: It is expected to take about six months to assess the bulk of those who may be eligible.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which service providers are supplying housing for asylum seekers in Essex; and in which towns those homes are provided; [135458]
- (2) how many service providers are providing accommodation for asylum seekers; [135460]
(3) if he will make a statement on the current service provider contracts for housing asylum seekers; and when they will expire. [135462]
Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has 22 contracts with providers for the supply of accommodation to eligible asylum seekers. Eight of these contracts are with the private sector, 12 with the public sector, one with a registered social landlord and one with a charity. The majority of these contracts are due to expire in 2005. There are no contracts providing accommodation in Essex.
In addition some asylum seekers are supported by local authorities under the interim regulations. No information is held centrally on contracts between individual authorities and their suppliers of accommodation.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seeker families in North East Lincolnshire are eligible to remain in the UK under the recently announced amnesty. [135631]
Beverley Hughes: Families who may qualify will be asked to complete a questionnaire. On the basis of the responses and other information on our files decisions will be made about whether they qualify or not.
The number of families in North East Lincolnshire who will be eligible for a grant of indefinite leave will therefore only be known once the responses are in and the cases have been processed.
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