| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1094W—continued
Cannabis
21. John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to ensure teenagers are fully aware of the possible dangers associated with cannabis use. [41789]
Paul Goggins: The Government will continue to make it clear that all controlled drugs, including cannabis, are harmful and no one should take them. The FRANK campaign provides young people and their families with information about the risks from drugs and where to get further help. FRANK has distributed almost one million leaflets and promoted radio adverts about the risks associated with cannabis. In 2005 there were 300,000 visits to the cannabis section of the FRANK website.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
22. Mr. McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Wolverhampton since their introduction; and if he will make a statement. [41791]
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1095W
Hazel Blears: The number of ASBOs issued, as notified to the Home Office, from 1 June 2000 to 30 June 2005 (latest available), in the local government authority area of Wolverhampton city council, is 66.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders. [41858]
Hazel Blears: In 2002 we published a research paper entitled A review of anti-social behaviour orders" (commonly referred to as the Campbell Review) which followed a commitment made during the passage through Parliament of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Antisocial behavioural orders (ASBOs) have now reached sufficient numbers to necessitate further research.
The Home Office is conducting an evaluation of ASBOs, the findings of which will be available in spring 2006 and will provide information on the effectiveness of ASBOs in tackling anti-social behaviour within our neighbourhoods and communities. In addition, the Home Affairs Select Committee, in their report on antisocial behaviour published last year, recommended that research was necessary to establish the reasons for the inappropriate issuing of ASBOs or the issuing of ASBOs with inappropriate conditions. We are currently considering the best way to meet this recommendation.
People Trafficking (Sex Trade)
24. Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the steps being taken to combat the trafficking of women from abroad to be forced to work in the sex trade. [41793]
Paul Goggins: The Government are committed to strong action against all forms of human trafficking. Our strategy includes comprehensive legislation, appropriate support for victims, co-operation with international partners, and enforcement action. An EU action plan on trafficking was adopted in December 2005.
The Government have also just published a consultation document on an action plan for the UK.
Closing the Gap"
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will summarise the material which was redacted in the published version of the HM Inspectorate Constabulary report Closing the Gap". [37940]
Hazel Blears: The preface to the public version of the Closing the Gap" report addressed this issue and in particular stated that the redacted material in no way impacted either the substance, or the spirit of the original report and its conclusions. Furthermore please be assured that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) made every effort to keep the redactions to an absolute minimum.
The only chapter that was affected by the decision to redact material was chapter five, the national assessment of police organisational fitness. 10 paragraphs were redacted from the section that presented HMIC's findings in relation to Counter-Terrorism and Domestic Extremism. These dealt with operational issues in relation to the command, control,
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1096W
deployment and resilience of existing resources in this critical, yet often covert area of policing. One sentence was redacted from the paragraphs that addressed Serious and Organised Crime, together with a composite map and the supporting narrative from the concluding section of the chapter, that identified risk in relation to specific operational issues, the release of which would be of interest to organised crime. It was HMIC's professional judgment that the publication of this material was not in the public interest.
I have raised the issue of producing the requested summary with HMIC and it is their view that, given the relative brevity and sensitivity of the material in question, it would not be possible to do so without exposing the issues at hand. I am, of course, sighted on this material and I agree with this assessment.
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many acceptable behaviour contracts have led to an application for (a) an antisocial behaviour order and (b) a possession order; [42232]
(2) how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been issued in the past two years; and what proportion has been breached; [42234]
(3) how many acceptable behaviour contracts have contained a statement that the continuation of unacceptable behaviour may lead to an application for (a) an antisocial behaviour order and (b) a possession order. [42233]
Hazel Blears: Data on the number of acceptable behaviour contracts are not collected by the Home Office as they are voluntary agreements and therefore unsuitable for central data collection.
Aliens (Removal)
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of aliens in the country who are removable but are not required to sign on regularly at his Department or at police stations. [38500]
Mr. McNulty: No government has ever been able to produce a precise estimate for the number of people who remain who are in the country illegally. A number will have entered unlawfully and go to considerable lengths to remain undetected, others leave without informing the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), and it is therefore impossible to quantify precisely how many people in this position are not required to report regularly.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the feasibility of removing all those individuals in the country who do not have leave to remain but who have not yet had removal action taken against them. [38501]
Mr. McNulty:
We have not carried out an assessment on whether it is feasible to remove all those individuals in the country who do not have leave to remain but who have not yet had removal action taken against them.
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1097W
No Government have ever been able to produce an accurate estimate for the number of people who remain in the country illegally. A number will have entered unlawfully and go to considerable lengths to remain undetected, others leave without informing the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), and it is therefore impossible to quantify accurately.
Appeals (Foreign Evidence)
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 427W, on appeals (foreign evidence), if he will take steps to include the Criminal Cases Review Commission as an investigative body that could raise a letter of request to another European jurisdiction under section 9(2) of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003. [35661]
Fiona Mactaggart: We have agreed in principle that we will seek to amend the Crime (International Co-operation) Act to allow the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to issue letters of request for release of information to another European jurisdiction as soon as a suitable legislative vehicle becomes available.
Asylum/Immigration
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes to the asylum system his Department has introduced as a result of representations from the Scottish Executive. [34009]
Mr. McNulty: Discussions are ongoing between the Home Office and Scottish Executive at ministerial and official level on the removal of failed asylum seeking families from Scotland and ways of promoting legal migration routes. Any improvements to the asylum system identified through these discussions will be implemented on a UK wide basis.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers in Leeds, North West have qualified for support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in the last 12 months. [38214]
Mr. McNulty: Since January 2005 we have supported 2,151 people under section four in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region. The number in receipt of support as at 20 December is 1,105.
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications of the political situation in Iran for his policy of repatriation of Iranian asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [38321]
Mr. McNulty: We continue to monitor closely the political and human rights situation in Iran through key governmental, non-governmental and other human rights organisations. The asylum determination process assesses the protection needs of individual claimants and where the political situation in Iran impacts directly on the circumstances of an individual claimant then it is duly considered as part of that individual's claim.
All Iranian asylum and human rights applications are considered by the Home Office on their individual merits, in accordance with our obligations under the
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1098W
1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Refugee status or other forms of leave are granted in appropriate cases. We enforce the return of an individual only where we are satisfied that the person concerned will not be at risk and has been unsuccessful in any appeals against the decision in their particular case.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many removals to the Democratic Republic of the Congo have occurred in each of the last 24 months. [39615]
Mr. McNulty: Removals to the Democratic Republic of Congo are shown in the following table. Asylum removals are shown to September 2005 and non-asylum removals to December 2004. Asylum removals for the fourth quarter 2005 will be published in February 2006. Non-asylum removals for 2005 will be published in November 2006.
Information on the destination of asylum removals has been recorded since the start of 2004 and is routinely given out to answer queries. This is published on the Home Office Research and Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
n/a = Data not available.
(70) Includes persons departing 'Voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them.
(71) Figures rounded to the nearest five, with * = 1 or 2 and — = 0, may not sum due to rounding.
(72) Provisional figures.
(73) Non-asylum data for 2005 will be published in the Control of Immigration United Kingdom 2005 in November 2006.
(74) Includes persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration. May include some on-entry cases and some cases where enforcement action has been initiated.
(75) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, excluding dependants.
(76) Includes a small number of people leaving under the Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular Migrants Programme run by the International Organisation for Migration.
(77) Total January to September 2005.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring of UK removals of failed asylum seekers to the Democratic Republic of Congo is undertaken; and if he will make a statement. [39616]
Mr. McNulty:
As with returns to all countries, the Home Office does not routinely monitor the treatment of individual Congolese nationals once removed from the UK. We would not remove them if we considered
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1099W
that they were likely to suffer persecution on their return. If specific allegations are made that any returnee has experienced ill-treatment on return from the UK, then these are followed up through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the British Embassy in Kinshasa as a matter of urgency.
Embassy staff are regularly in contact with a wide range of domestic and international sources in Kinshasa including local lawyers, press and human rights activists, Ministers from the Transitional National Government and other western embassies.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Coventry, South are (a) registered as asylum seekers and (b) registered migrants awaiting a decision on the granting right to remain. [39740]
Mr. McNulty: 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 number of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is published on a quarterly and annual basis, broken down by local authority. The most recent publication covering the third quarter of 2005, and further historical publications are available 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.
Statistics on the location of persons awaiting a decision on their application for leave to remain in the UK is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by the examination of individual case records
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what support is provided to Zimbabweans who have been refused asylum; [39754]
(2) what representations he has received regarding the situation of Zimbabweans living in the UK who have been refused asylum. [39755]
Mr. McNulty: We have received representations from the public and from Members of both Houses regarding the situation of Zimbabweans who have been refused asylum. Most have been concerned primarily with the issue of enforced return of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe, with a number of these proposing that failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers be allowed to work in the UK until it is safe for them to return to Zimbabwe". We have also received representations from UK voluntary sector organisations about support for failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers under section four of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
As I explained in my statement on 14 December 2005, Official Report, column 134WS, the recent Asylum and Immigration Tribunal determination did not find that Zimbabwe generally was unsafe for failed asylum seekers to return to or that voluntary returnees are at risk, only that the method by which we were at that time enforcing returns put enforced returnees at risk. As a consequence, we will not enforce the return of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe until we have addressed
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1100W
the concerns of the tribunal. In the meantime, voluntary returns to Zimbabwe are possible and are continuing. We therefore expect failed asylum seekers to return voluntarily to Zimbabwe and will assist them in doing so through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Asylum seekers from Zimbabwe who have been refused asylum can apply for support under section four of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Support is available under this provision to unsuccessful asylum seekers who are destitute and who satisfy one or more of a number of conditions, for example that the person is taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK, or to place himself in a position in which they are able to leave the UK.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his current estimate is of the number of failed asylum seekers living in the UK. [40362]
Mr. McNulty: Information on the total number of asylum seekers currently in the UK, including failed asylum seekers, is not available.
As in other countries, the number of unauthorised" or illegal" migrants—including failed asylum seekers—in the UK is unknown. The Migration Research Unit (MRU) report published last year reviewed the methods used in other countries and assessed their viability for use in the UK. That report suggested that a method which could be applied in the UK is the residual method" used in the United States. The new report details how that method has been applied in the UK.
It must be emphasised that, while this method is one that can be used with data available for the UK, over-reliance must not be placed on this result in the absence of the means to produce other estimates using different methods. The report can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/notes/june_summaries.html.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made on introducing faster non-detained processes for new asylum claimants; and if he will make a statement. [40363]
Mr. McNulty: As mentioned in the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) five year strategy, Controlling our borders: making migration work for Britain" [Cm 6472] published in February 2005, we have been testing a non- detained, tightly-managed approach in north-west England, where applicants are interviewed and receive decisions on their claims quickly and are closely managed either to removal or leave to remain in the UK.
This has been in place since December 2004 and is part of the new asylum model (NAM) which is designed to introduce:
close contact management for all non-detained claimants with access to support dependent on compliance; and
a specialist case owner responsible for managing each claimant from the start to either integration or removal.
Two segments of the new asylum model, dealing with potentially non- suspensive appeals cases and with late and opportunistic claims having low barriers to
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1101W
removal, became operational in June 2005 via complete case management teams based at Liverpool and Croydon.
Under this system, claimants presenting at the asylum screening units at Liverpool and Croydon who do not go into the detained fast track are judged against objective criteria (which have been shared with external stakeholders) as to whether their claims are late and opportunistic". If they are, or, based on their country of origin, their claims are potentially non-suspensive appeal" cases and they require national asylum seeker support (NASS) accommodation, they are moved to Liverpool. Non- detained, non-NASS accommodated claimants in either segment are managed by a Croydon-based team using reporting centres as close as possible to where they are living.
This is the first phase of the proposed implementation which we expect to see all new asylum cases from the end of this year dealt with as part of the new asylum model.
For the next phase we are planning to introduce case management teams in West Midlands and Leeds to manage the asylum applicants in those regions. These are expected to be in operational form in May of this year. Decisions will be made later about locations of other teams.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of applications for leave to remain included correspondence from hon. Members in each of the last five years. [40379]
Mr. McNulty: Information about the percentage of leave to remain applications received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate which included correspondence from hon. Members is not available. It could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at a disproportionate cost.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the number of failed asylum seekers in the UK who are unable to (a) work and (b) claim benefit. [40387]
Mr. McNulty: All failed asylum seekers who have no leave to remain in the UK do not have the right to work and are expected to leave the country. Support under section four of the 1999 Act is available for those unsuccessful asylum seekers unable to leave the country immediately who are co-operating with the process for return. As at the end of September 2005 there were 7,630 applicants, excluding dependants, in receipt of section four support.
However, as in other countries, the number of unauthorised" or illegal" migrants—including failed asylum seekers—in the UK is unknown. The Home Office published on 30 June, the outcome of the assessment of the applicability to the UK of the methods used by researchers and government agencies in other countries to estimate the size of the illegal population. The methods had been identified in the report by the Migration Research Unit (MRU) of University College London on Sizing the Illegally Resident Population in the UK".
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1102W
A copy of the Research Development and Statistics (RDS) On-line report 29/05—"Sizing the unauthorised (illegal) migrant population in the United Kingdom in 2001" can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/notes/june_summaries.html
The MRU report published last year reviewed the methods used in other countries and assessed their viability for use in the UK. That report suggested that a method which could be applied in the UK is the residual method" used in the United States. The new report details how that method has been applied in the UK.
It must be emphasised that, while this method is one that can be used with data available for the UK, over-reliance must not be placed on this result in the absence of the means to produce other estimates using different methods.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the safety and security of asylum seekers returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo. [40585]
Mr. McNulty: As with returns to all countries, the Home Office does not routinely monitor the treatment of individual Congolese nationals once removed from the UK. We would not remove them if we considered that they were likely to suffer persecution on their return. If specific allegations are made that any returnee has experienced ill-treatment on return from the UK, then these are followed up through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British embassy in Kinshasa as a matter of urgency.
Embassy staff are regularly in contact with a wide range of domestic and international sources in Kinshasa including local lawyers, press and human rights activists, Ministers from the Transitional National Government and other western embassies.
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department takes against individuals who have obtained leave to remain in the United Kingdom by fraud. [40665]
Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Asylum Act of 1999 gives the Secretary of State power to remove any individual who obtains leave to remain the UK by deception, section 10(8) of the Act automatically invalidates that leave.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid to the London borough of Barnet for special circumstances claims for asylum support costs in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [41214]
Mr. McNulty: The National Asylum Support Service is responsible for administering the grant paid to local authorities supporting both adult and family asylum seekers under the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999, as amended and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASCs) under the Children Act 1989.
The grant is intended to meet direct costs incurred by local authorities. Where there is a shortfall an authority can seek a special circumstance payment. To qualify the authority must show that it has taken all reasonable steps to live within its grant ceiling.
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1103W
For 2004–05 the London borough of Barnet was paid £29,770 to meet its bid for a special circumstance payment in respect of adults and families only. This met the authority's bid in full. The London borough of Barnet did not bid for a special circumstances payment for UASCs.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the refusal to grant Ms Hussaini Begum asylum in the UK. [41230]
Mr. McNulty: I have written to Ms Begum's constituency MP on this matter.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Tamworth are (a) registered as asylum seekers and (b) registered migrants awaiting a decision on the granting of a right to remain. [42098]
Mr. McNulty: 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 number of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is published on a quarterly and annual basis, broken down by local authority. The most recent publication covering the third quarter of 2005, and further historical publications are available 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.
Statistics on the location of persons awaiting a decision on their application for right to remain in the UK is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by the examination of individual case records.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether immigration officers dealing with removals of families of failed asylum seekers in Scotland have been given clearance to undertake work that involves contact with children under the Children (Scotland) Act 2005. [35098]
Mr. McNulty: All immigration officers, including those removing families of failed asylum seekers, are subject to a range of routine pre-employment checks, including checks against the Police National Computer. No additional checks are required by The Children (Scotland) Act 1995; the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 or the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department has made with handling the immigration appeal submitted by Mr. M.A.S., husband of Mrs. N.N. of Aylesbury (reference 868672; passport KD701035); and if he will make a statement. [38951]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
The appeal papers for a Mr. M.A.S were received by the Appeals Processing Centre of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) on 25 May 2005.
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1104W
Appeals arising from an application, refused by the entry clearance officer (ECO) prior to the commencement of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) on 4 April 2005, are forwarded to IND by the ECO before being sent to the AIT to be determined.
The AIT received the appeal papers on 22 December 2005, and a notice of hearing was sent to all parties on 29 December 2005. The appeal has been listed for hearing before an immigration judge on 20 March 2006.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from the Scottish Executive about attracting new immigrants to Scotland. [39936]
Mr. McNulty: I have been working closely with the Scottish Executive and am in regular discussions with colleagues there about a variety of issues surrounding their Fresh Talent Initiative, which seeks to counter Scotland's falling and ageing population.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are detained under Immigration Act powers; and how many of these are (a) asylum seekers whose asylum applications have yet to be determined and (b) asylum seekers whose asylum applications have been refused. [39518]
Mr. McNulty: Information on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers is available from a snapshot taken on the last Saturday of the quarter and is published in the Quarterly Asylum Statistics publications on the Home Office research development and statistics directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
It is not possible to say which stage of the asylum process people are at when they are detained. The decision to detain is made on a case by case basis and may be appropriate in one or more of the following circumstances: to effect removal; to establish a person's identity and claim; where a person presents a risk of absconding or where the application is capable of being considered quickly.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children are detained under Immigration Act powers. [39519]
Mr. McNulty: The number of children detained with their families under Immigration Act powers will change from day to day. However, internal management information shows that, as at 4 January 2006, there were 31 children detained with their families under Immigration Act powers: 28 at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre and three at Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre. These individuals were all detained as part of families whose detention, as a group was considered necessary. The figures provided do not constitute part of the national statistics and are based on management information.
Information on the number of persons detained, as at 24 September 2005, broken down by those who are under 18 years of age, are published in the Quarterly Asylum Bulletin, on the Home Office research development and statistics directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
16 Jan 2006 : Column 1105W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |