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29 Apr 2004 : Column 1275W—continued
Sure Start
Claire Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he plans to extend the Sure Start scheme to Watford constituency. [162907]
Margaret Hodge: There are a range of Sure Start services in Watford, including a children's centre, attached to Westfield School. Holywell is providing Sure Start services for around 590 children and their families. Since 1998, we have guaranteed free early education for all 4-year-olds and this guarantee has been extended to all 3-year-olds from April 2004. In Hertfordshire this represents an additional funding of over £60 million for 2004–05.
Since 1999, Hertfordshire have also been given over £6.1 million of funding to provide additional child care places and figures received from the authority shows that by March 2003 additional 11,067 childcare places were created.
Teacher Vacancies
Mr. Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in Bootle on the latest date for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce them. [169179]
Mr. Miliband: Information on teacher vacancies is not available by constituency as it is collected at local education authority level. In January 2003, the latest information available, there were 10 full-time teacher vacancies in Sefton local education authority.
Like other areas, since 1997 Sefton has benefited from the initiatives that the Government have put in place to recruit and retain teachers and to increase the number of staff supporting them in schools. Since 1997, the number of full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained schools in Sefton LEA has risen by 120, from 2,540 to 2,660 in 2003. Over the same period, the number of full-time equivalent school support staff in the area has grown by 540 from 780 to 1,320 in 2003.
Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in each subject in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) special and (d) all schools in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority; and if he will express these figures as percentages of all teachers. [167569]
Mr. Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Teaching Assistants
Mr. Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants there were in schools in Bootle in (a) each of the last seven years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [169180]
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Mr. Miliband: The following table gives the numbers of full-time equivalent teaching assistants in maintained schools in Bootle constituency for each year between 1997 and 2003, the latest year for which data are available.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 130 |
| 1998 | 130 |
| 1999 | 150 |
| 2000 | 160 |
| 2001 | 200 |
| 2002 | 160 |
| 2003 | 220 |
Source:
Annual Schools' Census.
Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants there were in schools in Wigan (a) in each of the last seven years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [169278]
Mr. Miliband: The following table gives the numbers of full-time equivalent teaching assistants in maintained schools in Wigan constituency for each year between 1997 and 2003, the latest year for which data are available.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 100 |
| 1998 | 110 |
| 1999 | 110 |
| 2000 | 110 |
| 2001 | 160 |
| 2002 | 130 |
| 2003 | 190 |
Source:
Annual Schools' Census.
University Students (London)
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students studying at a London university in the last academic year for which figures are available originated from (a) the UK and (b) overseas. [167979]
Alan Johnson: The latest available figures are given in the following table.
| Domicile | Number |
|---|---|
| UK | 259,630 |
| EU | 21,105 |
| Other Overseas | 40,648 |
| Total | 321,383 |
Note:
(45) Snapshot as at 1 December.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency.
Vulnerable Children
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local authorities are participating in piloting data sharing schemes for vulnerable children; and when each is due to report. [169037]
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Margaret Hodge: The Government have provided up to £1 million each to 10 Trailblazers, involving 15 local authorities, to test new ways of information sharing and multi-agency working. They are: Bolton; Camden; Kensington and Chelsea; Knowsley; Lewisham; Sheffield; Gateshead and Newcastle; Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland; Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire and west Sussex and east Sussex.
An evaluation underway by Royal Holloway, University of London is due to report in autumn 2004.
An interim report, Developing Identification and referral tracking systems: An evaluation of the processes undertaken by trailblazer authorities, was published in March 2004. I will arrange for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member and one has already been placed in the Library of the House.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) anti-social behaviour orders, (b) parenting orders and (c) curfew orders have been issued by Leeds City Council since 12 February 2003. [168605]
Ms Blears: Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs)—The number of ASBOs issued within the Leeds local government authority area, as notified to the Home Office, from 12 February 2003 up to 31 December 2003 (latest available) is 50. The local authority was the main complainant for 47 of these orders. Three orders were issued, following conviction, at the court's discretion.
Parenting Orders—Youth Justice Board figures indicate that two parenting orders were made by courts in the Leeds Youth Offending Team (YOT) area following conviction of juveniles between January 2003 and December 2003 (latest available figures).
Curfew Orders—Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the Autumn.
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued in (a) the first quarter of 2003, (b) the second quarter of 2003, (c) the third quarter of 2003, (d) the fourth quarter of 2003 and (e) the first quarter of 2004. [169733]
Ms Blears: The number of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), as notified to the Home Office, issued within England and Wales in 2003 is given, by quarter, in the table. Latest available data are up to December 2003.
| Quarter | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | Total | |
| County court on application | — | — | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Magistrates court on application | 112 | 143 | 150 | 158 | 563 |
| On conviction | 53 | 76 | 112 | 146 | 387 |
| Crown court on conviction | 4 | 4 | 15 | 42 | 65 |
| Total | 169 | 223 | 279 | 349 | 1,020 |
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Asylum Seekers/Immigration
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum in the UK have been made from claimants not residing in the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available. [165613]
Mr. Browne: There is no provision in the Immigration Rules to seek asylum in the UK from abroad. A person usually has to travel to the UK in order to claim asylum here, although an asylum seeker is not usually "resident" in the UK. Exceptionally, some cases are referred to the Home Office from overseas diplomatic posts. If entry clearance is granted exceptionally, and the applicant subsequently travels to the UK and applies for asylum, the application would be included in the figures in the same way as other applications. Limited information is available on applications that are processed abroad. No overseas applications are recorded as having been lodged since 1992.
Information on asylum applications made in the UK is published quarterly. The next publication covering the second quarter of 2004 will be available on 25 May 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government has to provide alternative accommodation for asylum seekers currently detained at Maghaberry Prison. [164609]
Mr. Browne: We have no plans to provide alternative accommodation in Northern Ireland for those immigration detainees who are currently held at HMP Maghaberry.
However, an individual detainee who initially elected to remain at HMP Maghaberry rather than be transferred to an Immigration Service removal centre in Great Britain may at any time request to be transferred to such a removal centre.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which countries his Department judges that asylum seekers cannot be returned for (a) human rights and (b) other reasons. [163331]
Mr. Browne: All asylum and human rights claims are considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Should a claim be refused and any appeal before the independent Immigration Appellate Authority be unsuccessful, it means that for that individual it is safe to return.
The only country to which, as a matter of policy, we do not at present generally enforce the return of failed asylum seekers is Zimbabwe. This policy is based not on asylum or human rights reasons but on our view that in the wider context of the Government's position on Zimbabwe, it would be inappropriate forcibly to return failed asylum seekers applicable at this time.
However, it is open to Zimbabwean failed asylum seekers to return voluntarily. Zimbabweans may apply for the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration
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Programme (VAARP) operated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on behalf of the Home Office.
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) children have been granted humanitarian protection in the United Kingdom in each month since April 2003. [166473]
Mr. Browne: The table shows initial decisions resulting in grants of humanitarian protection (HP) to asylum seeker principal applicants and dependants by month from April to December 2003, the latest published figures that are available.
| Male | Female | Total grants of HP | Total initial decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2003 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 4,290 |
| May 2003 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 5,130 |
| June 2003 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 5,230 |
| July 2003 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 4,940 |
| August 2003 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 4,200 |
| September 2003 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 5,070 |
| October 2003 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 5,605 |
| November 2003 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 5,060 |
| December 2003 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 4,310 |
| Total | 65 | 70 | 135 | 43,840 |
(46) Provisional figures rounded to the nearest five.
(47) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome appeals or other subsequent decisions.
| Male | Female | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2003 | — | * | * |
| May 2003 | * | — | * |
| June 2003 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| July 2003 | * | 5 | 5 |
| August 2003 | — | * | * |
| September 2003 | — | * | * |
| October 2003 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| November 2003 | * | 5 | 5 |
| December 2003 | * | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 15 | 25 | 40 |
(48) Provisional figures rounded to the nearest five with * = 1 or 2.
(49) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome appeals or other subsequent decisions.
16 per cent. of these 135 principal applicants and 88 per cent. of the 40 dependants were aged under 18 at time of decision, based on the date of birth information supplied by applicants. 10 of the principal applicants were identified as unaccompanied asylum seeking children, 83 per cent. of these were under 18 at the time of initial decision.
Cases granted HP are actively reviewed at the end of the HP period, which may subsequently result in refusal and removal.
Data on non-asylum grants of HP are not available.
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Information on asylum decisions, by sex, is published annually. The next publication covering 2003 will be available at the end of August 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many National Asylum Support Service-supported asylum seekers in the City of Newcastle have had support and accommodation withdrawn on the grounds of the failure of their case, broken down by (a) gender and (b) the number of dependants involved. [168692]
Mr. Browne: Information on numbers of cases who have had support terminated broken down by reason for cessation, by area of the UK, or by gender is unavailable and could be produced only at a disproportionate cost. A total of 45,185 cases had support terminated in 2002 (the latest year for which data is available) compared with 14,195 in 2001. Support may be terminated for a variety of reasons, including failure of an asylum application or changes in the circumstances of the applicant affecting their eligibility for support.
As at the end of December 2003 the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported in Newcastle in the National Asylum Support Service, (NASS) accommodation was 1,510, and 55 were in receipt of subsistence only support. Figures are rounded to the nearest five and cases which have had their support terminated are excluded from this figure.
Information on the number of asylum seekers supported by MASS is published quarterly, and information on the number of cases with support ceased is published annually in the annual Home Office Statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom, available on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases involving asylum seekers and dependants from EU accession countries remain to be determined. [168694]
Mr. Browne: The requested information is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
Information on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. The next publication will be available from 25 May 2004 and will cover the first quarter of 2004 (January to March).
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether asylum seekers from EU accession countries will be required to have an approved work permit under the Special Work Registration scheme before starting work on 1 May; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued to (a) employers and (b) jobcentres. [168696]
Mr. Browne:
From 1 May asylum seekers from the eight EU Accession countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) will be able to take up employment in the UK
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1281W
providing they apply to register under the new Worker Registration Scheme. They will not need a work permit. These arrangements apply equally to accession nationals who are already in the UK (including as asylum seekers) and to those who arrive in the UK on or after 1 May.
Workers who are required to register should apply as soon as they start a new job—not before—and within one month of taking up employment at the latest. Further information about the Worker Registration Scheme is available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) website: www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk.
Guidance issued to employers is also available on the IND website at http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/default.asp?pageid=17 and available in hard copy from the Employer's Helpline on 0845 010 6677.
An Awareness Pack and guidance material has been prepared by Jobcentre Plus for use by its staff. This will be placed in the Library once the Regulations are laid before the House on 30 April.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in relation to the Oakington Reception Centre, for the second quarter of 2002, how many (a) appeals were received following refusals, (b) appellants remain in custody, (c) appellants are at addresses known to his Department, (d) appeals have been determined and (e) failed appellants have been removed. [140573]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 1 December 2003]: There were 2,160 appeals received for claims decided at the Oakington Reception Centre out of 2,270 refused asylum applications in the second quarter of 2002. Appellants are not routinely detained at Oakington pending their appeal, although some may be in detention at Immigration Service Removal Centres, at Immigration Short Term Holding Facilities, and at prison establishments. Information on the number of appellants in detention and information on the current address of an appellant is not readily available and could only be verified at disproportionate cost. The number of appeals determined on the 2,160 received in the second quarter of 2002 was 1,995. The number of failed applicants who have been removed could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
Information on Oakington and other asylum statistics is published quarterly. The most recent publication covering the third quarter of 2003 is now available on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of applications for asylum in England and Wales were accepted in each year since 1997. [168015]
Mr. Browne:
The requested information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Asylum applications, initial decisions, and appeals data relate to applications for asylum in the UK are not available at regional level.
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It is estimated that around four in 10 (42 per cent.) of applications for asylum in the UK in 2002 resulted in the granting at initial decision of asylum (10 per cent.) or of exceptional leave to remain (23 per cent.), or in appeals which were allowed by the IAA adjudicators (a further 10 per cent.). This compares with 42 per cent. for applications made in 2001, and 31 per cent. for applications made in 2000. Comparable information for previous years is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.
The proportion granted asylum or other status either at initial decision or appeal varies over time reflecting the mix of nationalities, the situations in countries of origin, and the merits of each individual case.
Further detail including information on the basis of the estimation is provided in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2002 (pages 11–12), copies of which are available from the Library of the House and at the RDS website http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
It is planned that corresponding information for applications made in 2003 will be published in Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2003 at the end of August 2004.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum cases which went to appeal during each of the last seven years were (a) granted and (b) refused leave to remain in the country; and what the total number of cases which went to appeal was in each year. [165619]
Mr. Browne: Data on the number asylum cases that went onto appeal are given in the following tables. The tables show the outcomes of appeals determined by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA), further appeals to the Immigration Appeal Tribunal (IAT) and applications for Judicial Review for the latest seven years for which data are available. IAA Appeal determinations may relate to initial decisions made in previous years; IAT appeal determinations may relate to IAA determinations in earlier years. Outcomes of appeals relate to whether an asylum appeal is allowed, dismissed or withdrawn. Allowed appeals do not necessarily result in grants of leave to remain. Some appeals to the IAT are brought by the Secretary of State.
A record 81,725 appeals were determined by IAA adjudicators in 2003, a quarter (27 per cent.) higher than in 2002 (64,405). The proportion of appeals dismissed rose to 78 per cent. in 2003 (76 per cent. in 2002), while the proportion of appeals allowed fell to 20 per cent. (22 per cent. in 2002).
As at 31 December 2003, there were an estimated 12,000 appeals lodged with the Home Office which had not been sent to the Immigration Appellate Authority, compared with 30,000 at the end of December 2002; a proportion of appeals lodged do not result in appeal bundles being sent to the IAA.
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29 Apr 2004 : Column 1284W
| Allowed | Dismissed | Withdrawn | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | As % of total determined 4 | Total | As % of total determined 4 | Total | As % of total determined 4 | |
| 1997 | 1,180 | (6) | 18,145 | (86) | 1,720 | (8) |
| 1998 | 2,355 | (9) | 21,195 | (84) | 1,770 | (7) |
| 1999 | 5,280 | (27) | 11,135 | (57) | 3,050 | (16) |
| 2000 | 3,340 | (17) | 15,580 | (80) | 475 | (2) |
| 2001 | 8,155 | (19) | 34,440 | (79) | 825 | (2) |
| 2002(54) | 13,875 | (22) | 48,845 | (76) | 1,685 | (3) |
| 2003(54) | 16,070 | (20) | 63,810 | (78) | 1,845 | (2) |
(50) Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.
(51) Figures for 1997 to 2000 are based on manual counts of data received in Appeals Support Section of the Home Office. Some cases are received elsewhere in the Home Office before being forwarded to ASS and so may be counted in a later month than when they arrived in the Home Office. Figures for 2001+ are based on electronic sources.
(52) Based on information supplied by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Determinations do not necessarily relate to appeals received in the same period.
(53) Percentages based on total determined excluding without foundation appeals referred to Secretary of State for further consideration. Based on data supplied by the Presenting Officers Unit within the Home Office (October 1999-December 2002).
(54) Provisional figures,
(55) Estimate. Figures rounded to the nearest hundred, and subject to later revision.
| Applications for leave to appeal to the Tribunal 2 | Appeals to the Tribunal | Outcome of Tribunal Hearings(58) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | Decisions | Received | Determined | Allowed | Dismissed | Withdrawn | Remitted to adjudicators for further consideration | |
| 1996 | 5,620 | 5,345 | 1,010 | 900 | 55 | 285 | 10 | 550 |
| 1997 | (60)8,915 | (60)8,130 | 2,185 | (60)1,375 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1998 | (60)10,910 | (60)10,315 | 1,775 | (60)1,090 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1999 | 8,635 | 9,575 | 2,135 | 1,790 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 2000 | 6,020 | 5,490 | 1,615 | 2,635 | 815 | 1,385 | 220 | 215 |
| 2001 | 15,540 | 13,540 | 3,860 | 3,190 | 475 | 1,140 | 150 | 1,430 |
| 2002(59) | 25,600 | 22,825 | 6,920 | 5,565 | 620 | 2,015 | 225 | 2,700 |
| Appellant | Secretary of State | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allowed | Dismissed | Withdrawn | Allowed | Dismissed | Withdrawn | |
| 1996 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1997 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1998 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1999 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 2000 | 650 | 1,225 | 185 | 170 | 165 | 35 |
| 2001 | 315 | 1,020 | 125 | 160 | 120 | 25 |
| 2002(59) | 410 | 1,880 | 210 | 215 | 130 | 15 |
(56) Figures rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.
(57) Figures based on data supplied by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Decisions and determinations do not necessarily correspond to applications and appeals received in any given year.
(58) Figures supplied by the Presenting Officers Unit. Figures for October-December 1999 are based on data for November-December.
(59) Provisional figures.
(60) Revised figures.
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1285W
| Applications for leave to move for Judicial Review(61) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | Decisions (62) | of which: granted leave to move | Percentage of applicants granted leave to move (63) | |
| 1996 | 1,225 | 915 | 190 | (21) |
| 1997 | 1,350 | 1,250 | 320 | (26) |
| 1998 | 1,890 | 1,220 | 300 | (25) |
| 1999 Q1, Q2, and Q4(66) 1,790 | 1,125 | 395 | (35) | |
| 2000(67) | 1,920 | 2,095 | 555 | (26) |
| 2001(67) | 2,210 | 2,300 | 290 | (13) |
| 2002(68) | 3,075 | 2,980 | 260 | (9) |
| The outcome of judicial review hearings(61) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allowed(64) | Dismissed 5 | Withdrawn | ||||
| Total | As % of total determined | Total | As % of total determined | Total | As % of total determined | |
| 1996 | ||||||
| 1997 | ||||||
| 1998 | ||||||
| 1999 Q1, Q2, & Q4(66) 135 | (57) | 25 | (11) | 75 | (32) | |
| 2000(67) | 365 | (48) | 300 | (40) | 95 | (12) |
| 2001(67) | 260 | (68) | 60 | (16) | 60 | (16) |
| 2002(68) | 25 | (30) | 60 | (67) | 5 | (3) |
(61) Figures based on Administrative Court data. Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2.
(62) Decisions do not relate to applications in any given period.
(63) The number of which granted leave to move as a percentage of decisions.
(64) The decision of the respondent (in this case, the Home Office or the Department for Constitutional Affairs) was quashed. These figures include consent orders where the JR was conceded by the respondent.
(65) The decision of the respondent was upheld.
(66) Estimated figures.
(67) Figures exclude judicial reviews brought in cases relating to asylum support (NASS).
(68) Provisional figures.
Statistics on the number of asylum appeals heard by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority are published quarterly; data covering the Immigration Appeal Tribunal and Judicial Review are published annually. Copies of the most recent publications are available from the Library of the House or on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been placed in (a) Huddersfield, (b) Kirklees and (c) Yorkshire and Humber in each year since 1990. [164902]
Mr. Browne: The information is not available in the precise format requested. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) assumed responsibility for the support of asylum seekers on 3 April 2000.
NASS disperses asylum seekers to Government Office Regions and local authority areas. Statistics by parliamentary constituencies became available at the end of December 2003. The table shows the available data for the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported by NASS in Yorkshire and Humberside region, which includes Kirklees local
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1286W
authority area and Huddersfield constituency, as at the end of each year since December 2000. Earlier figures are not available.
Information on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS is published quarterly. The next publication covering the first quarter of 2004 (January to March) will be available on 25 May on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
| Government Office Region/local | December | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| authority area/parliamentary constituency and type of support | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | ||||
| Accommodation | 3,550 | 8,470 | 10,215 | 9,920 |
| Subsistence only | 90 | 285 | 800 | 855 |
| Kirklees | ||||
| Accommodation | n/a | n/a | 935 | 1,095 |
| Subsistence only | n/a | n/a | 45 | 45 |
| Huddersfield | ||||
| Accommodation | n/a | n/a | n/a | 750 |
| Subsistence only | n/a | n/a | n/a | 25 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. n/a not available
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries to which the Home Office does not currently return failed asylum seekers. [165828]
Mr. Browne: We seek to remove all failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants wherever possible. All asylum and human rights claims are considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Should a claim be refused and any appeal before the independent Immigration Appellate Authority be unsuccessful, it means that for that individual it is safe to return.
The only country to which, as a matter of policy, we do not at present generally enforce the return of failed asylum seekers is Zimbabwe. This policy is based not on asylum or human rights reasons but on our view that in the wider context of the Government's position on Zimbabwe, it would be inappropriate forcibly to return failed asylum seekers applicable at this time.
However, it is open to Zimbabwean failed asylum seekers to return voluntarily. Zimbabweans may apply for the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VAARP) operated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on behalf of the Home Office.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Department is required to record mistaken removals of asylum seekers; and what steps have been taken to develop an appropriate database for this function. [165933]
Mr. Browne:
There is no statutory requirement for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) to keep records of any mistaken removals of asylum seekers
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1287W
from the UK. By mistaken removals, we are referring to the removal of any individuals while there are any unresolved issues pending on a case, outstanding appeals or judicial challenges.
Following a recommendation made by the Home Affairs Select Committee in April 2003 that measures be put in place to record and publicise such cases, IND is currently looking into the feasibility of setting up a central database to record all mistaken removals. We do not have any present plans to publicise such information but no final decision will be made on this without prior consultation with the Immigration Research and Statistical Service (IRSS).
Dr. Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what medical assessments are conducted on asylum seekers prior to dispersal within the UK, and if he will make a statement; [166427]
(2) what provision is made for continuing HIV treatment for existing HIV patients in the immigrant population following dispersal; [166609]
(3) what plans he has to assess the system of dispersal for asylum seekers suffering from HIV. [166426]
Mr. Browne: In assessing suitability for dispersal the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) takes account of all known facts. Some health needs are identified when the application for NASS support is being completed. In addition, those asylum seekers who go through Induction Centres are given the opportunity to have a health assessment. This does not automatically include screening for HIV/AIDS but an asylum seeker who believes he may be at risk may opt to have tests conducted.
Asylum seekers known to be HIV positive are dispersed to areas where relevant treatment is available. In line with standard practice for all MASS dispersals, MASS informs the relevant Primary Care Trust of the asylum seeker's arrival in their area. MASS outreach staff visit asylum seekers shortly after their arrival to ensure that they have access to all services, including health services. Accommodation providers and voluntary sector "one-stop" services can also assist newly dispersed asylum seekers to access services including registering with a GP. Asylum seekers who have undergone a health assessment prior to dispersal are in possession of hand held medical records which they can pass to their GP.
These policies and practices are being considered as part of a short external review which is expected to report to Ministers in the Summer.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were dispersed in the UK for the latest year for which figures are available. [166610]
Mr. Browne:
Numbers of asylum seekers placed in the National Asylum Support Service, (NASS) accommodation under the dispersal policy, and numbers who are in receipt of subsistence only support from NASS, are available on a quarterly and annual basis. The total for the United Kingdom as at end December 2003 was 49,760.
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The next publication covering the first quarter of 2004 (January to March) will be available on 25 May on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are housed in Liverpool, Walton under the dispersal programme. [166981]
Mr. Browne: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) disperses asylum seekers to Government office regions and local authority areas. The number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported in NASS accommodation in the constituency of Liverpool, Walton as at the end of December 2003 was 230.
Information on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS is published quarterly. The next publication covering the first quarter of 2004 (January to March) will be available on 25 May on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to deal with an asylum application is. [166982]
Mr. Browne: The latest published statistics show that the speed of processing asylum applications continues to improve. 80 per cent. of applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases 1 ) received in the period April to September 2003 had initial decisions reached and served within two months. 74 per cent. of applications received in 2002–03, and 61 per cent. of applications received in 2001–02, had initial decisions reached and served within two months. This exceeded the Government's targets of 65 per cent. for 2002–03 and 60 per cent. for 2001–02, and we are on track to meet the target of 75 per cent. for 2003–04.
The average time between application and initial decision was 10 months for initial decisions made in 2003, compared with 20 months for April 1997. This has been calculated using all cases for which data are available, including older cases decided as part of the reduction of the number of outstanding cases, as well as new cases decided as part of normal work in progress. The number of cases awaiting initial decision fell to 24,500 at the end of December 2003, the lowest level for more than a decade (and 41 per cent. lower than a year earlier), and continues to fall.
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. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were registered in each year between 1997 and 2003. [166984]
Mr. Browne:
The tables show asylum applications received in each year between 1997 and 2003 for the UK and for the EU as a whole. The figures show the rise in the UK and across Europe in the late 1990s followed by the fall in 2003 as a result of a series of measures
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1289W
including those in the National Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. In 2003 applications to the UK fell by 41 per cent. compared with a fall of 10 per cent. for the rest of the EU (excluding Italy).
| Total applications | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 32,500 |
| 1998 | 46,015 |
| 1999(70) | 71,160 |
| 2000(70) | 80,315 |
| 2001(71) | 71,025 |
| 2002(72) | 84,130 |
| 2003(72) | 49,370 |
(69) Figures rounded to the nearest 5
(70) May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2000
(71) Provisional figures
(72) Revised figure
| Total Applications in UK | Total applications in EU | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 41,500 | 255,800 |
| 1998 | 58,500 | 312,300 |
| 1999(74) | 91,200 | 396,700 |
| 2000(74) | 98,900 | 401,900 |
| 2001(76) | 91,600 | 397,600 |
| 2002(77) | 103,100 | 386,100 |
| 2003(77) | 61,100 | (75)308,400 |
(73) Figures rounded to the nearest 100
(74) May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2000
(75) Excludes Italy data
(76) Provisional figures
(77) Revised figure
Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The publication covering the first quarter of 2004 (January to March) will be available on 25 May 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been registered with the London Borough of Hillingdon in each of the last five years. [168071]
Mr. Browne: The information is not available in the form requested. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) assumed responsibility for the support of asylum seekers on 3 April 2000.
NASS disperses asylum seekers to Government Office regions and local authority areas. The following table shows the available data for the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported by NASS in the Hillingdon Local Authority area, as at the end of each quarter since December 2002. Information in respect of the number of persons dispersed to an area during a given year is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Information on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS is published quarterly. The next publication covering the first quarter of 2004 (January to March) will be available on 25 May on the
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1290W
Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
| As at end: | In receipt of subsistence only support | Supported in NASS accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| December 2002 | 625 | 20 |
| March 2003 | 585 | 10 |
| June 2003 | 595 | 15 |
| September 2003 | 530 | 15 |
| December 2003 | 490 | 15 |
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum seekers are estimated to have entered the country illegally in each of the last five years. [168915]
Mr. Browne: The number of asylum applications received in each of the last five years for which data are available are given in the table. There is no official estimate of the proportion of these who entered the country illegally.
| (79)Applications received | |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 71,160 |
| 2000 | 80,315 |
| 2001(81) | 71,025 |
| 2002(80) | 84,130 |
| 2003(80) | 49,370 |
(78) Figures rounded to nearest five
(79) May exclude some cases lodged at local enforcement offices between January 1999 and December 2000
(80) Provisional figures
(81) Revised figures
Official estimates of the size of the illegally resident population in the United Kingdom do not exist. The Government has commissioned research into the methods used in other countries to estimate the size of the illegal population in order to define methods appropriate for the UK.
The work required is challenging because, by definition, illegal migrants fall outside of official statistics and are therefore difficult to measure. People illegally present in the UK are also motivated to ensure they remain hidden, which is a challenge to conducting research.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last year immigration detainees were held overnight in police cells. [160556]
Mr. Browne: Information on the number of immigration detainees who were held overnight in police cells is not held centrally. However, I can give an assurance that detention in police cells for immigration purposes is kept to the minimum.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from the EU accession states have (a) been granted and (b) been
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1291W
refused leave to remain in the UK under the European Communities Association Agreement (i) in 2001–02, (ii) in 2002–03 and (iii) to date in 2003–04. [160937]
Mr. Browne: Detailed figures are not available for 2001–02. However, on the basis of internal management information, we estimate that around 8,000 applications were made during this period.
In 2002–03, we estimate that just under 15,000 ECAA applications were granted, and some 1,400 were refused or fell for other reasons. In 2003–04 (to end February 2004), these figures were around 35,000 and 1,200 respectively.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has passed to the Immigration Appellate Authority the relevant papers in the case of Mr. S. M., husband of Mrs. S. K. of Aylesbury (decision maker's reference 643686; Gerrys/Fedex case reference 9003389; appeal reference 900863159; UK Visas reference GV100/86120); and if he will make a statement. [167247]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 22 April 2004]: This appeal was forwarded to the Immigration Appellate Authority on 13 April 2004.
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