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13 Jun 2005 : Column 146W—continued
HOME DEPARTMENT
Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the research conducted for his Department in 2002 by Stephen Scott on anti social behaviour. [2215]
Hazel Blears: Data and results from the parenting programme run by Dr Stephen Scott as part of the On Track programme in Southwark have been fed into a series of regional and national On Track evaluation reports which have been published by the Home Office. There were no intentions or plans to publish individual reports from the On Track evaluation.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti social behaviour orders were issued in Pembrokeshire in each year between 1998 and 2004. [2587]
Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table.
(38)Between 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been made with Leeds residents since October 2003. [1717]
Hazel Blears: The number of acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) made is not known as this information is not collected centrally.
A recent survey carried out by the Home Office and sent to all crime and disorder reduction partnerships estimated that 5,383 ABCs were made between October 2003 and September 2004.
13 Jun 2005 : Column 147W
Asylum and Immigration
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to appoint the independent monitor of accommodation centres for asylum seekers. [664]
Mr. McNulty: We intend to appoint the monitor in advance of the opening of the first centre, to enable him or her to give consideration to the working methods and processes in the centres, but not so far in advance that there is nothing for him or her to do.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria will be used in deciding which migrants applying for refugee status have that status determined at the proposed accommodation centre for asylum seekers at Bicester. [667]
Mr. McNulty: Only destitute asylum seekers who would otherwise be supported in dispersal accommodation will be supported in the accommodation centre; more detailed criteria will be established nearer to, but in advance of, the opening date, and will reflect the mix of the asylum intake at that time.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's employees were engaged (a) part-time and (b) full-time on asylum removals in each of the last five years. [2842]
Mr. McNulty: The number of employees engaged on the removal of failed asylum seekers is not disaggregated from the overall number of employees within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) and therefore not readily available. Any attempt to calculate the number of employees involved in the removal of failed asylum seekers in each of the last five years would need to take into account a large number of factors and this could be done only at disproportionate cost. However the average number of employees in the UK Immigration Service alone during each of the past four years is as follows.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 4,725 |
| 2002–03 | 5,742 |
| 2003–04 | 6,768 |
| 2004–05 | 7,239 |
There are no figures available for 2000–01.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of initial asylum decisions were successfully appealed by the applicant in each of the last five years. [2841]
Mr. McNulty: Information on the percentage of successful appeals on refusals of grants of asylum is not available. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
Information on estimates of final asylum decisions is published annually. The next publication covering 2004 will be available in August 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
13 Jun 2005 : Column 148W
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time between initial decisions in asylum applications and the hearing of an appeal was in the last period for which figures are available. [2845]
Mr. McNulty: Information on the average time between initial decisions in asylum applications and the hearing of an appeal is not available. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case
The Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) set a jointly owned public service agreement target for 2003–04 that 60 per cent. of substantive asylum applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases) received from one April 2003 should have a decision, up to and including final appeal at the Immigration Appeal Tribunal, within six months.
The Home Office and DCA exceeded this target with 64 per cent. of substantive applications received in the period April 2003 to March 2004 having had a final decision, up to and including appeals at the Immigration Appeal Tribunal, within six months.
Information on asylum applications, initial decisions and appeals are published quarterly. The next publication covering the second quarter of 2005 will be available in August 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum applications received an initial decision within (a) one month, (b) two months and (c) three months of application in the last period for which figures are available. [2847]
Mr. McNulty: 21 per cent. of applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases) received in October to December 2004 had initial decisions reached and served within one month (1), 77 per cent. within two months (1) and 83 per cent. within three months (1).
Information on the timeliness of asylum cases is published in the quarterly asylum statistics on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to increase the rate of removal of failed asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [2848]
Mr. McNulty: In February 2005 the Government announced a five-year strategy aimed at increasing the rate of removals of those who have no basis of stay in the United Kingdom. To do this we will:
manage asylum seekers more closely through various means including the use of electronic monitoring;
place immigration at the heart of our relationship with asylum source countries to secure more returns;
grant refugees temporary leave initially, while monitoring and reviewing the situation in their home countries;
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants have had their asylum application refused but have not been removed because of successful Human Rights Act 1998 applications in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [2970]
Mr. McNulty: The requested information is not available. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what methods are used by his Department to assess the age of young asylum seekers. [2972]
Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) assesses the age of young asylum seekers using available credible documentary evidence. Failing this IND will assess age based on the claimant's appearance and demeanour, as well as other factors relevant such as medical evidence. IND will usually accept a full Social Service Department age assessments as proof of age.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to stop illegal immigration into the UK. [2935]
Mr. McNulty: We have already made significant improvements to border controls by expanding our juxtaposed controls, deploying new detection technology and increasing our airline liaison network overseas. This has had a significant impact both on deterring illegal immigration and reducing asylum intake.
We are also taking new measures to further improve border controls, including a further expansion of the airline liaison network, a more comprehensive intelligence debriefing system, and new mobile search teams. All visa applicants will be fingerprinted by 2008, and pre-boarding checks of all persons entering and leaving the UK will be introduced by 2010.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were received for indefinite leave to remain in the UK in each year from 1997. [514]
Mr. McNulty: Data on applications for indefinite leave to remain is only available from March 2002. The total number of applications per financial year since April 2002 is as follows:
| April to March | ILR applications |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 106,880 |
| 2003–04 | 111,640 |
| 2004–05 | 92,100 |
This data has been rounded to the nearest 10.
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