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27 Feb 2006 : Column 66W—continued
Anti-terrorism Legislation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested more than once in the UK under anti-terrorism legislation in each of the last seven years. [52403]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Statistics on the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1974 from 1979 to 2001 are available on the Research and Statistics section of the Home Office website. Statistics on the number of arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the outcomes of those arrests, from 11 September 2001, are also available on the Home Office website.
Figures for the number of people arrested more than once are not available because the information is not collated in this way.
Asylum/Immigration
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants resident in the Peterborough city council area have broken their bail conditions in each of the last three years. [51388]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not available.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers deported or removed from the United Kingdom in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 were aged (i) 15, (ii) 16, (iii) 17 and (iv) 18 years; and if he will make a statement. [43325]
Mr. McNulty:
We believe that young people with no basis of stay in the UK can be returned to their countries of origin in a way that is safe, sustainable, and in their best interests.
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Only those young people whose asylum or humanitarian protection claims have been refused, and where their care and support needs have been matched to a tailored package of reception, care and reintegration support, will be returned to their countries of origin.
We are confident that the measures we are putting in place meet, and supersede, our international obligations to provide access to food, water, shelter, healthcare and basic safety.
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The following table shows the removals of asylum applicants who claim to be 15, 16, 17 and 18 at the date of their removal, for the period 2004 to September 2005.
Information on the removals of asylum applicants is published quarterly and annually in the regular asylum statistics, available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office RDS website: www.homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
(24) Includes enforced removals, persons departing' voluntarily' following enforcement action initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.
(25) Provisional figures.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest five, with *=1 or 2, and may not sum due to rounding.
2. Figures are likely to overstate because some applicants aged 18 or over claim to be younger on arrival in the United kingdom.
3. Includes principal applicants and dependants.
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in each constituency are receiving section 4 support. [49108]
Mr. McNulty: The information on section four by constituency is not available.
Information on section four is published quarterly. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants are receiving national asylum support service subsistence and accommodation support in the last year for which figures are available. [50689]
Mr. McNulty: Asylum statistics are published quarterly and the most recent published statistics relate to the period from July to September 2005. At the end of September 2005 a total of 53,855 people—comprising asylum seekers, their dependants, and unsuccessful asylum seeking families—were receiving support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS). Of these, 35,285 were in NASS dispersed accommodation and 2,360 were in initial accommodation awaiting a decision on their claim for support or transfer to their dispersal accommodation. 16,210 were receiving subsistence only support.
Asylum statistics can be found on the Home Office website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the waiting time was in the last period for which figures are available for processing applications for leave to remain in Northern Ireland. [53059]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not available as data are not collated in this way.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted leave to remain in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [53060]
Mr. McNulty: The first two years of the period requested (2001 and 2002) precede accurate data from the current casework database, and statistics are not reliable. The information requested is not therefore available.
Provisional management information for the remaining three years (2003–05) is available for those who have been granted leave to remain and had a current postcode in Northern Ireland. This is provided as follows.
| People granted leave to remain | |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1,757 |
| 2004 | 2,010 |
| 2005 | 2,854 |
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 Pakistan for his policy of repatriation of Pakistani asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [53115]
Mr. McNulty:
We continue to monitor closely the political and human rights situation in Pakistan through key governmental, non-governmental and other human rights organisations. All Pakistani asylum and human rights claims are considered by the Home Office on their individual merits, in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the
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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. We do not regard it as unsafe to return failed asylum seekers to Pakistan and by providing asylum or other appropriate forms of protection to those who need it we ensure that only those who are not at risk are returned.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to decide who is fitted with an electronic monitoring device when claiming asylum in the UK. [53270]
Mr. McNulty: Section 36 of the Immigration and Asylum (treatment of claimants etc.) Act 2004 allows for the electronic monitoring (EM) for all those who are liable to be detained under the Immigration Act, provided they are at least 18 years of age.
EM was piloted from October 2004 to March 2005 using the following criteria: over 18, liable to detention and with the applicants consent. The policy to obtain consent was reversed following pilot evaluation.
EM policy is still in the developmental stages. The criteria to date are: late and opportunistic claims, high intake nationalities, Third Country Unit cases, cases with a non-suspensive right of appeal, cases with a criminal conviction and cases where there is evidence of a previous history of non-compliance with Immigration Law.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conditions are placed on asylum seekers who are fitted with an electronic monitoring device. [53271]
Mr. McNulty: People fitted with an electronic tag device, are required to be present at their temporary release address for specified periods of time.
The restriction period is dependant on the circumstances of each case and can include varied restriction periods combined with physical attendance at a Reporting Centre or police station.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people claiming asylum were fitted with an electronic monitoring device in the last period for which figures are available. [53272]
Mr. McNulty: Less than 0.4 per cent. of individuals claiming asylum were fitted with an electronic monitoring device in the period (July-September 2005) for which figures are available.
The proportion is likely to increase as the Immigration and Nationality Directorate further develop and rollout Electronic Monitoring (EM) policy.
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there are in Wakefield constituency; and how many of them are children. [53406]
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Mr. McNulty: Data on asylum seekers supported by NASS broken down by parliamentary constituency are available from the Library of the House. Data on supported asylum seekers broken down by age is not available.
The numbers of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) are published on a quarterly and annual basis. 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.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal expenses his Department incurred in each month of 2005 in relation to asylum appeals. [53495]
Mr. McNulty: Information on legal expenses is not recorded separately for each stage of the asylum process. Extracting the appeals element could be achieved only at disproportionate cost. The following table shows the monthly amount spent on legal costs and expenses in 2005 for asylum initial decision and appeals processing combined.
Some of the earlier months also include expenses for enforcement and removal elements of the asylum process and for some non-asylum cases.
Due to the protracted time taken by legal proceedings and settlement negotiations, most of the expenditure actually brought to account in any one month relates to action taken on appeal cases during a varying period that month. The figures include interim payments of costs pending negotiation of final settlements.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| January | 487,516 |
| February | 893,736 |
| March | 544,655 |
| April | 594,078 |
| May | 635,206 |
| June | 613,011 |
| July | 570,486 |
| August | 687,328 |
| September | 528,731 |
| October | 305,121 |
| November | 445,472 |
| December | 354,470 |
| Total | 6,659,810 |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were (a) granted and (b) refused in each of the last seven years. [53770]
Mr. McNulty: Information on asylum initial decisions and appeal outcomes are published quarterly and annually. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Harry Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration was given to the standard and quality of housing and support for asylum seekers in the tendering process for National Asylum Support Service; whether the tender process allowed for
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a decline in the quality of such provision; what assessment he has made of the impact upon these services and asylum seekers of the changes arising from the recently completed tendering process; what estimate he has made of the number of asylum seekers who will have to move home; whether their accommodation is likely to be worse than that presently provided; what the ratio of support workers to asylum seekers will be in 2006–07; what this ratio was in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [54368]
Mr. McNulty: A Statement of Requirements, which forms a part of the new Target contracts, has been developed and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. This details the standards that all accommodation providers to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) under the Target contracts must meet. These standards were drawn up in consultation with existing public sector providers and other external stakeholders. Accommodation providers are required to provide a briefing service to newly dispersed asylum seekers shortly after arrival, a detailed and auditable complaints service and clearly defined timescales for property maintenance and repairs.
We have sought to minimise, as far as possible, disruption to asylum seekers where a change in accommodation is unavoidable by providing them, at the earliest opportunity, with detailed information of the processes involved and access to a telephone helpline. The exact number of asylum seekers who will need to move to alternative accommodation will be established following the signing of the Target contracts. Current estimates suggest that nationally up to 7,200 households may have to move.
Asylum seekers requiring support and assistance can seek this from a range of sources including their accommodation provider, the local MASS regional office, statutory agencies, and the voluntary sector. Since April 2000 MASS has funded six voluntary sector agencies to deliver one stop services throughout the United Kingdom to asylum seekers. Following consultation with the agencies involved, new agreements are being put in place for a period of five years from April 2006 to provide continuity of advisory services.
Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason asylum seekers are unable to apply for provisional driving licences; and whether he has any plans to seek to enable them to do so. [51847]
Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
Asylum seekers are eligible to apply for a provisional driving licence provided they meet the requirements specified in legislation. This requires applicants to complete an application, provide a photograph and acceptable supporting evidence of identity.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the Entry Clearance Officers Operational Enforcement Manual. [50635]
Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Diplomatic Service Procedures (DSPs) for Entry Clearance give instructions to Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) on the
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handling of entry clearance and visa applications. This is a live document that is regularly modified and if a hard copy were placed in the Library it may quickly become out of date.
The Entry Clearance volume of the DSPs is available on the UKvisas website at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk and may be accessed from the More About UKvisas" heading.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the refusal rate for each UK entry clearance office has been in each of the last five years. [50650]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
The table containing the information requested by the hon. Member will be placed in the Library of the House.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) asylum applicants and (b) migrants have been (i) issued with an antisocial behaviour order and (ii) placed on the Sex Offender Register in each of the last five years. [50666]
Paul Goggins: Information is not collected centrally on the immigrant or migrant status of recipients of antisocial behaviour orders.
Persons convicted or cautioned for sexual offences can be required to notify certain personal details to the police under part two of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to enable the police and others to assess the risk that the offender poses to the community. Information about their immigration status is not one of the personal details required.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours of training an (a) immigration officer and (b) entry clearance officer receives before taking up their post. [50690]
Mr. McNulty: All immigration officers joining Border Control receive at least 10 weeks [c410 hours] full time training at the commencement of their employment. For Enforcement and Removals, new immigration officers also receive 10 weeks [c.410 hours] full time training while those transferring from Border Control receive seven weeks [c 287 hours] as much of the necessary legislative and interviewing skills are already known to them. Developmental and functional training is available to all immigration officers throughout their career although there are no set minimum or maximum limits to how much an individual can receive. Therefore, after induction training the amount each immigration officer receives will depend upon individual and business needs.
All entry clearance officers who have no relevant recent immigration background knowledge and experience are required to attend a three week course (c 120 hours) before taking up their post. Immigration officers with the relevant background knowledge and experience are required to attend a one week (c 40 hours) conversion" course before taking up duty.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people living in Northern Ireland in 2005 were estimated to be doing so illegally. [52722]
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Mr. McNulty: In 2005, the Home Office published a report which included an estimate of the size of the illegal migrant population in the UK in 2001. A copy of the 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#rdsolr2905.
As mentioned in the report the only method to estimate the size of the unauthorised migrant population in the UK that currently can sensibly be applied is the residual method. As the method relies on data from the census of the population undertaken every 10 years, it is not possible to produce an estimate for other years. Nor is it possible, using this methodology, to estimate the number living in Northern Ireland.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to deal with those who transport illegal immigrants into the UK. [53777]
Mr. McNulty: The civil penalty regime, as amended by the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, enables the imposition of a penalty on drivers, owners, operators and hirers of transporters of up to a maximum of £2,000 per clandestine entrant carried to the UK or to a UK immigration control operated in a prescribed zone. In cases where the driver or operator knowingly transports clandestine entrants criminal proceedings may ensue.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to tackle illegal immigration in (a) Romford, (b) Havering and (c) Greater London. [53780]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 8 February 2006, Official Report, column 1274W, which applies equally to the Greater London area.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for attempting illegally to enter the UK in each of the last seven years. [53781]
Mr. McNulty: The immigration service has deployed a range of initiatives to deter and detect illegal entry to the UK including moving controls overseas, enhancing juxtaposed controls in Paris, Lille, Brussels and Calais, deploying new detection technology in France and Belgium, enhanced visa regimes, the UK's network of airline liaison officers and close co-operation with carriers, port authorities and our EU colleagues.
Recorded numbers of inadequately documented arrivals that have arrived at UK ports over the last three years are set out in the following table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 17,228 |
| 2004 | 11,233 |
| 2005 | 7,066 |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrested in the last seven years for non-immigration related offences were illegal immigrants. [53782]
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Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds have been allocated to tackling illegal immigration in each of the last seven years. [53785]
Mr. McNulty: Total IND expenditure is available in the published accounts of the Home Office.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 50 countries of origin from which the most illegal immigrants arrived in each of the last seven years. [53787]
Mr. McNulty: In 2005, the Home Office published a report which included an estimate of the size of the illegal migrant population in the UK in 2001. A copy of the RDS online report 29/05 Sizing the unauthorised (illegal) migrant population in the United Kingdom in 2001 can be found at:
As mentioned in the report the only method to estimate the size of the unauthorised migrant population in the UK that currently can sensibly be applied is the residual method. Using this methodology, it is not possible to estimate the country of origin of unauthorised (illegal) migrants.
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are detained (a) in and (b) outside Scotland under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; and how many people were detained under the Act in each category in each quarter of the last five years. [46737]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office does not hold information on the total number of persons who were detained in each quarter of the last five years. Information on persons detained in and outside of Scotland is also not available. It would only be available by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
Quarterly snapshots are published showing the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter, broken down by place of detention. This information may be found in the Quarterly Asylum statistics publication and can be found on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of running the hon. Members' hotline for immigration and asylum inquiries in each year between 1995 and 2005. [53243]
Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate's MPs' Hotline was established in January 2000. Expenditure on salaries and associated administrative costs in 2005–06 is projected to be £427,600.
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it takes on average to process to completion a case of asylum nationality and immigration raised via the hon. Members' hotline. [53244]
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Mr. McNulty: Management information on the performance of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate MPs' Hotline is not collected in the requested form. Although the Hotline is able to make decisions on applications within the Immigration Rules, the great majority of callers (some 80 per cent.) are either seeking general immigration advice or inquiring about progress on a constituent's application.
In the period April–December 2005 the Hotline received 25,637 telephone calls of which 20,878 (82 per cent.) were resolved the same day. Of the other 4,759 calls, 4,239 (16 per cent. of the total) were referred by Hotline staff to the relevant operational areas for resolution.
The remaining 520 inquiries were handled within the Hotline and 270 of these were to resolve caseworking issues. The target to complete action in such cases is 10 working days and the Hotline achieved that in 80 per cent. of cases.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be reached on the application of Hamid Hamdullah Zadah, reference 21034579, for leave to remain. [50308]
Mr. McNulty: It is standard Home Office policy to undertake a number of checks on people of certain nationalities (and others where necessary) before their claims can be finalised. In some instances, these have to be pursued at some length. This is essential in order to maintain effective immigration control, to prevent the wrong people acquiring citizenship and permanent right of abode here and to safeguard national security. It is unfortunate when, as in this case, these checks necessarily take longer to carry out than usual.
I can assure you that Mr. Hamdullah Zadah will be informed as soon as a decision on his asylum claim has been made.
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