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Asylum Seekers

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of (a) the assistance, with particular reference to interpretation facilities, available to asylum seekers making their initial application for asylum and (b) the impact of the absence of independent advisers from Home Office interviews. [19034]

Mr. McNulty: The information requested is as follows:

(a) Since 6 February this year the United Kingdom has implemented the ED Receptions Conditions Directive which lays down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers in member states including the requirement to provide all new asylum claimants with an information leaflet which advises them of their rights and responsibilities and provides contact numbers for support and assistance.

This leaflet is available in 15 languages which covers the majority (approximately 92 per cent.) of asylum seekers. Asylum Screening Units in both Liverpool and Croydon have a pool of interpreters available for
 
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their immediate use, while ports of entry and other immigration offices will call in an interpreter to attend interviews, when required.

All interpreters used by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) either hold a recognised public qualification such as the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) Law option, or have been assessed by the Metropolitan Police or the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA). Interpreters are bound by a Code of Conduct and their performance is monitored by the IND officials.

(b) The assessment made when funding for advisers to attend interviews was withdrawn in April 2004 was that their presence added little value in most cases. Where the claimant is considered to need additional support, as in the case of minors and people whose claims are considered very quickly, funding continues. There is no evidence that the changes have worked to the disadvantage of asylum claimants. Claimants can also ask for an audio recording of their substantive interviews if they are not entitled to representation at interview or lack sufficient resources to pay for their own representation, but at present only around 20 per cent. do so.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications from Somali nationals have (a) not yet been finally determined and (b) been refused in each of the last five years, broken down by year of the original application; and how many of those refused asylum seekers have been deported or voluntarily repatriated. [17956]

Mr. McNulty: The requested information is not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Available information is published in the quarterly and annual asylum statistics copies of which are accessible from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum made in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003, (e) 2004 and (f) 2005 by nationals of (i) Sierra Leone, (ii) Nigeria, (iii) Ghana, (iv) Uganda, (v) Zimbabwe, (vi) Ethiopia, (vii) Eritrea, (viii) Somalia, (ix) Moldova, (x) Afghanistan, (xi) Iraq, (xii) Iran, (xiii) Turkey, (xiv) Ecuador and (xv) Colombia have been successful; how many were accepted by the Home Office before tribunal proceedings; how many were successful as a result (A) of a decision of an adjudicator, (B) of a decision of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal and (C) of a final decision by the Home Secretary; and what percentage of the total each category represents. [19242]

Mr. McNulty: The requested information is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate costs by examination of individual case records. Information on asylum applications, grants of asylum at initial decision and appeal outcomes by nationality is published quarterly and annually. Copies are available from the Library on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
 
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Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum have been made in each year since 2001. [19562]

Mr. McNulty: Information on asylum applications is published quarterly and annually. The information requested is published in the annual bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2004. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at:

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in Gravesham are awaiting the result of (a) an initial decision and (b) an appeal. [20080]

Mr. McNulty: Asylum seekers apply to be granted refugee status in the UK rather than specifically in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Information on asylum seekers' initial decisions and subsequent appeals within particular areas of the UK is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.

Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives. The numbers of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) are published on a quarterly and annual basis, broken down by local authority.

The next publication covering the third quarter of 2005 (July to September) will be available on 22 November 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Data on asylum seekers supported by NASS broken down by parliamentary constituency are also available from the Library of the House

British Citizenship

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation as a British citizen since 2001 have been processed within (a) six months, (b) 12 months, (c) two years and (d) three years; and how many are outstanding after three years. [14362]

Mr. McNulty: Information is only available from April 2002. The number of cases decided within the specified timescales is as follows:

During 2004–05, 53 per cent. of new applications were decided within three months of receipt, 75 per cent. within six months and 97 per cent. within 12 months.

580 applications are outstanding after three years.
Decided within:
Six months12 months24 months36 months
2002–0369,33152,53018,005634
2003–0497,92126,93515,403142
2004–05115,83622,3031,2880








 
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Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will to reply to the letter to him dated 7 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Kenroy Brown. [19512]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 20 October 2005.

EU Accession Country Migrants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens from East European member states of the EU resident in the UK have registered with the workers registration scheme, broken down by (a) occupation and (b) nationality. [16852]

Mr. McNulty: The Accession Monitoring Report for May 2004—June 2005 sets out the number of citizens from East European member states of the European Union (EU) who have registered with the worker registration scheme during this period. This report is available on the Home Office website via:http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession_ monitoring.html

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the economic impact of the settlement of economic migrants from European Union accession countries in the UK since 1 May 2004, with particular reference to local public services; and if he will make a statement. [18210]

Mr. McNulty: On 1 May 2004 the Government set up the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) to regulate accession eight nationals' access to the labour market and to restrict access to benefits.

The Government committed to publish data from the Worker Registration Scheme on a quarterly basis. The latest quarterly statistics for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2005 were published on 23 August 2005. The report includes the number of people registering on the WRS and the number of accession nationals that apply for benefits.

A copy of the report is available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession_ monitoring.html

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have come to the United Kingdom from the new EU accession states under the Worker Registration Scheme; and what estimate he has made of their financial contribution to the UK. [18748]

Mr. McNulty: On 1 May 2004 the Government set up the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) to regulate Accession eight nationals' access to the labour market and to restrict access to benefits.

The Government committed to publish data from the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) on a quarterly basis. The latest quarterly statistics for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2005 were published on 23 August 2005.
 
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The report gives the number of people registering on the WRS but we currently provide no estimate of the financial contribution of A8 migrants under the WRS.

A copy of the report is available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website:


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