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17 Nov 2004 : Column 1572W—continued
Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2004, Official Report, column 187W, how many of the persons given a custodial sentence for breach of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) (a) received a custodial sentence for other offences on the same appearance, (b) received a consecutive sentence of custody for breach of an ASBO when being dealt with for other offences on the same court appearance and (c) were being dealt with for breach of an ASBO alone. [196603]
Ms Blears: Information held on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database shows that, of the 152 persons given a custodial sentence for breach of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO); (a) the number of custodial sentences given for other offences on the same court appearance is 88, (b) the number of consecutive sentences of custody for breach of an ASBO when being dealt with for other offences on the same court appearance is 76, and (c) the number of cases which were dealt with for breach of an ASBO alone is 44. In 56 cases the defendant received a consecutive custodial sentence for breach of an ASBO and a custodial sentence for one or more other offences on the same court appearance. Hence these cases are counted under both (a) and (b) .
Armley Prison
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the percentage of prisoners in Armley Prison with (a) drug-related problems, (b) alcohol-related problems and (c) mental illness. [189944]
Paul Goggins: Routine data collection at Leeds prison states that 72 per cent. of prisoners report drug related problems at reception. A needs analysis undertaken by the Prison Service in April 2004 estimates that in Leeds prison 25 per cent. of prisoners have alcohol related problems. On 12 October 2004, 14 per cent. of prisoners in Leeds prison had a diagnosed mental health problem.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been awaiting an initial decision for more than (a) three and (b) six months. [193251]
Mr. Browne:
The level of initial decisions has continued to exceed the level of applications in recent quarters, hence the number of cases awaiting initial decision has continued to fall, to 13,300 at the end of June 2004 (compared with 31,400 at the end of June 2003) and the lowest level for a decade. Of this total, 4,900 cases were work in progress (i.e. the application had been outstanding for six months or less), so a total
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of 8,900 cases had been awaiting an initial decision for more than six months. Similarly 9,200 cases had been awaiting an initial decision for more than three months.
Eighty-two per cent. of new substantive applications received in 2003–04 had initial decisions reached and served within two months compared with 75 per cent. in 2002–03. For applications received in 2002–03, the figures were 85 per cent. within four months and 88 per cent. within six months. For April to December 2003, the corresponding figures were 90 per cent. within four months and 93 per cent. within six months.
Information on the number of cases awaiting initial decisions, and on the timeliness of case processing, is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have arrived at UK (a) airports and (b) ports without any or any proper documentation and subsequently claimed asylum in each of the last 12 months. [195469]
Mr. Browne: Precise information on how many people have arrived at UK airports or ports undocumented and subsequently claimed asylum is unavailable. However, management information indicates that, during July 2003 and June 2004, undocumented arrivals (which may include dependants) was equivalent to around 70 per cent. of the number of port principal asylum applicants. A breakdown by type of port, and on how many subsequently claimed asylum, is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Information on asylum applications is published on a quarterly and annual basis. The publication covering the third quarter of 2004 (July to September) was published on 16 November on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities are fully reimbursed by the Government for (a) costs arising from the discharge of their responsibilities towards the children of asylum seekers and (b) consequent resource costs borne by local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [196095]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 4 November 2004]: Local authorities have a wide range of responsibilities towards children in their area. This applies to children of asylum seekers in the same way as to other children, and the funding mechanisms in place reflect this.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of asylum seekers arriving at UK ports did not have an immigration document establishing identity and nationality or citizenship since section 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 came into force; how many such people have been prosecuted; how many of those (a) pleaded guilty, (b) were convicted after pleading not guilty, (c) were legally represented and (d) were given a custodial sentence; how many received a custodial sentence in
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excess of three months; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to public funds per month per person of keeping them in custody. [196858]
Mr. Browne: Precise information on how many people have arrived at UK airports or ports undocumented and subsequently claimed asylum is unavailable. However, management information indicates that, between July 2003 and June 2004, undocumented arrivals (which may include dependants) was equivalent to around 70 per cent. of the number of port principal asylum applicants. A breakdown by type of port, and on how many subsequently claimed asylum, is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Since section 2 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 came into force on 22 September 2004.
Of these 24 pleaded guilty and 58 pleaded not guilty. There has been insufficient time for any of those pleading not guilty to have their cases heard at a Crown court.
All charged are entitled to legal representation, however there are no figures collated regarding how many were represented.
There have been 19 custodial sentences and all of these were in excess of three months. Five other pleading guilty are awaiting sentencing.
These figures represent the position as at the close of the courts on Wednesday 3 November.
All figures are locally collated management information and are therefore subject to change.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list local authority net current expenditure on asylum seekers for each local authority in England in each year since 1991–92. [197246]
Mr. Browne: The information is not available in the format requested. The Home Office took responsibility for payment of grants to local authorities supporting asylum seekers on 1 April 1999. Local authorities are able to claim grant from the Home Office within specified criteria to meet their costs of supporting asylum seekers.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there are in Wales, broken down by local authority area. [197420]
Mr. Browne: Information on the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in Wales, as at the end of June 2004, is presented in the following table. Corresponding figures for those not in receipt of NASS support are not available.
Figures are rounded to the nearest five and therefore may not sum due to rounding.
* equals 1 or 2. Figures are provisional.
Accommodation support includes those receiving "accommodation only" support and those receiving "accommodation and subsistence" support.
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Information on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS is published quarterly. The publication covering the third quarter of 2004 (July to September) was published on 16 November 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the costs of support for asylum seekers in Reading was borne by the local authority in the last financial year. [197549]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 11 November 2004]: The information is not available. Local authorities are able to claim grant from the Home Office within specified criteria to meet their costs of supporting asylum seekers.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles have been supplied to asylum seekers to facilitate their transport; at what cost; what the nationalities were of those concerned; what checks were made on the driving permits of those concerned; whether nationals of the countries of origin concerned in possession of these permits have an automatic right to drive in the UK; whether the asylum applications of the individuals involved was delayed by the lack of other documents; and if he will make a statement. [197920]
Mr. Browne: The National Asylum Support Service does not provide cars to asylum seekers it is supporting. Asylum seekers, like any other person from abroad are expected to meet the requirements laid down by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency if they wish to drive here.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the London local authorities which are supporting asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [198186]
Mr. Browne:
The following London boroughs are providing support to asylum seekers:
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Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Corporation of London, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond-upon-Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth and Westminster.
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entrants to the country who have arrived at John Lennon Airport, Liverpool in the last three years and been asked to report to immigration control have subsequently absconded or not reported back. [193866]
Mr. Browne: Information on the number of entrants at individual ports who have absconded or not reported back is only available by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
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