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26 Jan 2005 : Column 370W—continued

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will include as part of the BBC charter renewal review consideration of allowing the BBC to continue developing its commercial activities in (a) the UK and (b) overseas. [209792]

Tessa Jowell: Every aspect of the BBC will be considered as part of Charter review. This will include the Corporation's commercial activities both in the UK and overseas.

Criminal Offences

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department in the (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 session, broken down by Act. [206793]

Mr. Caborn: 72 criminal offences were created in legislation sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 sessions. A list of these criminal offences, broken down by Act, has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Country Information Policy Unit Reports

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who compiles the information in the Home Office Country Information Policy Unit reports that are referenced by asylum adjudicators and Home Office officials; and what their research and professional qualifications are. [210764]

Mr. Browne: The Home Office Country Information and Policy Unit (CIPU) is staffed by generalist civil servants. Although aptitude for research is an important element in selection of staff, it has not been considered necessary to staff the unit with professionally qualified researchers. This is because CIPU does not undertake primary" research. The country information material it produces is secondary" research—identifying and providing a summary of primary research carried out by others.

The independent Advisory Panel on Country Information (APCI) has recommended that CIPU's research skills be strengthened by the introduction of professional research staff who would have supervisory, control and monitoring tasks in the preparation of Country Reports and other country information outputs. This recommendation is being addressed in the context of the reorganisation of CIPU's functions that I announced on 8 September 2004, Official Report, column 119WS.

Animal Experiments

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of animal experiments in the UK; and if his Department will take steps to reduce the number of experiments. [208820]


 
26 Jan 2005 : Column 371W
 

Caroline Flint: Trends in the number of animal experiments over the last few decades are recorded in the publication Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 2003-Cm 6291, available in the Library—The Stationery Office Belfast publishes separate figures for animal experiments conducted in Northern Ireland. This shows that the number of scientific procedures using animals started in Great Britain in 2003—the latest year for which data are available—was just over 2.79 million, a rise of about 59,000 (2.2 per cent.) compared with 2002.

There has overall been a significant reduction in the annual number of such scientific procedures since the 1970s and 1980s, but in recent years this trend has more or less levelled out. It is impossible to predict future trends, as many variable factors are involved.

Reduction in experiments in particular programmes of work are achieved through implementation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which can be licensed only if the number of animals used is minimised. More generally the Government and the scientific community are continuing efforts to try to bring down the overall amount of animal experimentation, including through establishment of the UK National 3Rs centre and working with relevant international bodies.

Asylum Seekers

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Ministers were first advised that the target of 30,000 removals of failed asylum seekers in 2001–02 was unachievable. [206165]

Mr. Browne: Ministers were advised in July 2002 that the target had been revised.
 
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Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many adults were tagged as an alternative to detaining asylum seeking families at the latest date for which figures are available; [206245]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of asylum-seeking families expected to be monitored through tagging by May 2005. [206246]

Mr. Browne: At 17 January 2005 nobody has been tagged as an alternative to detaining asylum-seeking families.

A pilot to test three types of monitoring: voice recognition, tagging and tracking commenced in October 2004. The pilot will run until March 2005 when results will be evaluated. Subjects for the tagging pilot (40 in total) are being identified. The number of asylum-seeking families we expect to monitor through tagging during the pilot will depend on risk assessments carried out in individual cases. The number is unlikely to be high as the pilot is limited in numbers and in the majority of cases family members are detained only for a relatively short period immediately prior to removal.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of Afghan asylum seekers received (a) refugee status and (b) another form of protection from the UK Government in each quarter since 1997. [210515]

Mr. Browne: The table shows initial decision and appeal determinations by quarter, where available, for Afghan asylum applicants, 1997 to Q3 2004. Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and appeal outcomes do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.

Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 will be available on the 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Initial decisions1 on asylum applications, by quarter, 1997 to Q3 2004—Nationals of Afghanistan

Cases considered under normal procedures
Backlog clearance exercise
Total initial decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR, HP
and DL(49)
Total refusalsTotal backlog clearance exerciseBacklog clearance
ELR(50)(5507280051)
Backlog clearance
refusals(50)(5507280051)
No.%No.%No.%No.%No.%
Q1 199723010321091156
Q2 199719052160833016
Q3 199716052135842514
Q4 19971505313591106
Q1 199833552290874012
Q2 1998355513459751
Q3 199864010262097101
Q4 199827015524590155
1999(53)1,2951511,1809190710101000
Q1 2000265155803017064551000
Q2 20003703081203222059551000
Q3 20004804081002133570**1000
Q4 20001,470290203952778553
Q1 20014,475810182,650591,01523
Q2 20013,035655221,8306055018
Q3 20012,415550231,3605650521
Q4 20012,440310131,6556847520
Q1 20023,0453512,3957961020
Q2 20022,1802011,7107845021
Q3 20021,765302520291,21569
Q4 20021,190302145121,02086
Q1 2003(54)1,265101205161,05083
Q2 2003(54)1,25015112091,11589
Q3 2003(54)790511101467085
Q4 2003(54)6751011251854580
Q1 2004(54)5651021102044578
Q2 2004(54)70051751162088
Q3 2004(54)9801011251384586


(48) Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
(49) Humanitarian protection and discretionary leave replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003.
(50) Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 96 act asylum backlog.
(51) May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
(52) May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
(53) Annual data only available,
(54) Provisional figures.



 
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Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of Iraqi asylum seekers received (a) refugee status and (b) another form of protection from the UK Government in each quarter since 1997. [210516]

Mr. Browne: The tables show initial decision and appeal determinations by quarter, where available, for Iraqi asylum applicants, 1997 to Q3 2004. Decisions do
 
26 Jan 2005 : Column 374W
 
not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and appeal outcomes do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.

Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 will be available on the 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Initial decisions(55) on asylum applications, by quarter, 1997 to Q3 2004—Nationals of Iraq

Cases considered under normal procedures
Backlog clearance exercise
Total initial decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR, HP
and DL(56)
Total refusalsTotal backlog clearance exerciseBacklog clearance
ELR(57)(5507280058)
Backlog clearance
refusals(57)(5507280058)
No.%No.%No.%No.%No.%
Q1 1997155553580512014
Q2 1997180603480454021
Q3 1997190703680434022
Q4 199714070515541108
Q1 199810555534039108
Q2 19982251104895422010
Q3 19984101804419548308
Q4 19983601704716546257
1999(60)7353154232043100145586*14
Q1 200079514018535671201500
Q2 20001,775340191,22069215125580*20
Q3 20001,345235186254648536551000
Q4 20001,60512588051,40081
Q1 20013,3402508400122,69081
Q2 20012,05520010390191,47071
Q3 20011,92018510515271,22063
Q4 20011,715195175853493555
Q1 20022,59523091,4555691035
Q2 20022,56519581,7856958523
Q3 20023,08515052,2657366522
Q4 20023,66013542,6907383523
Q1 2003(61)2,9556522,1057178527
Q2 2003(61)355515135098
Q3 2003(61)1,805*01511,79099
Q4 2003(61)1,690*03021,66098
Q1 2004(61)1,640507041,57096
Q2 2004(61)1,23002021,21098
Q3 2004(61)1,46004531,41597


(55) Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
(56) Humanitarian protection and discretionary leave replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003.
(57) Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 Act asylum backlog.
(58) May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
(59) May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
(60) Annual data only available.
(61) Provisional figures.





 
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Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum seekers from Somalia received (a) refugee status and (b) another form of protection from the UK Government in each quarter since 1997. [210517]

Mr. Browne: The tables show initial decision and appeal determinations by quarter, where available, for Somalia asylum applicants, 1997 to Q3 2004. Decisions
 
26 Jan 2005 : Column 376W
 
do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and appeal outcomes do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.

Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 will be available on the February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Initial decisions(62)on asylum applications, by quarter, 1997 to Q3 2004—Nationals of Somalia

Cases considered under normal procedures
Grants of asylum
Grants of ELR , HP and DL(63)
Total refusals
Total initial decisionsNumberPercentageNumberPercentageNumberPercentage
Q1 199750551405819018
Q2 19972055526*015073
Q3 199753514527335635510
Q4 19971,0657807327526101
Q1 19981,0407056832031152
Q2 199851045089306255
Q3 199876071094152354
Q4 199849546594102204
1999(67)31013037551612035
Q1 2000915415453103319021
Q2 20006,8453,790552,680393755
Q3 20001,910660344102184043
Q4 20001,585450281801196060
Q1 20012,6951,03538600221,06039
Q2 20011,780740414702657532
Q3 20011,860460254752692050
Q4 20012,100675324552297046
Q1 20021,765675384802761035
Q2 20021,455585403402453036
Q3 20021,775655373902273041
Q4 20021,745605351901195054
Q1 2003(68)2,0256853416081,18058
Q2 2003(68)1,2204103490772059
Q3 2003(68)1,37039028130985062
Q4 2003(68)1,43518012175121,08575
Q1 2004(68)1,26511591601399078
Q2 2004(68)845115141201461072
Q3 2004(68)59510017901541069

Total backlog clearance exercise
Backlog clearance ELR3, 4
Backlog clearance Refusals3, 5
Total backlog clearance exerciseNumberPercentageNumberPercentage
Q1 1997
Q2 1997
Q3 1997
Q4 1997
Q1 1998
Q2 1998
Q3 1998
Q4 1998
1999(67)403583517
Q1 20005557543
Q2 2000251571529
Q3 2000403585515
Q4 2000
Q1 2001
Q2 2001
Q3 2001
Q4 2001
Q1 2002
Q2 2002
Q3 2002
Q4 2002
Q1 2003(68)
Q2 2003(68)
Q3 2003(68)
Q4 2003(68)
Q1 2004(68)
Q2 2004(68)
Q3 2004(68)


(62)Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
(63)Humanitarian protection and discretionary leave replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003.
(64)Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 act asylum backlog.
(65)May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
(66)May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
(67)Annual data only available.
(68)Provisional figures.



 
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Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases lesbian and gay applicants have been refused asylum in the last five years on the grounds that they will not be persecuted if they return to their home countries and hide their sexuality. [210624]

Mr. Browne: Asylum applications are decided on an individual case by case basis. Information on how many cases have been refused asylum on the grounds that they will not be persecuted because of their homosexuality is not available and could therefore be available only by examination of individual case records.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants have won refugee status in the UK in the last five years on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality. [210765]

Mr. Browne: Asylum applications are decided on an individual case by case basis. Information on how many cases have been granted asylum on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality is not available and could be available only by examination of individual case records.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum applicants in 2004 claiming a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality were refused asylum. [210766]

Mr. Browne: Asylum applications are decided on an individual case by case basis. Information on how many cases have been refused asylum on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution because of their homosexuality is not available and could be available only by examination of individual case records.


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