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22 July 2008 : Column 1324W—continued


Asylum

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on (a) the most recent operation of the asylum system and (b) the most recent report of the Independent Asylum Commission; and if she will make a statement. [220075]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 21 July 2008]: The UK Border Agency receives correspondence from a variety of sources about the operation of the asylum system some of which makes reference to the reports of the Independent Asylum Commission. The UK Border Agency operates a fair and humane asylum system fully meeting the United Kingdom’s international protection obligations.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Somalian people have been refused asylum in the UK in each of the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years; and how many are awaiting a decision on an asylum application. [220634]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 21 July 2008]: The following two tables give the most recently published figures available and show the total number of refusals for Somali people, following initial decisions, between April 2007 and March 2008 and for each of the last five years.

The published figure for asylum applications for Somali people awaiting an initial decision is not available as the figures are based on an overall manual count which is not divided into separate categories.


22 July 2008 : Column 1325W

Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2007 and for Q2 2008 will be available on 21 August 2008 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate web site at:

Asylum refusals on initial decisions( 1,2) in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants April 2007 to March 2008 by month, nationals of Somalia

Total refusals

2007

April

65

May

65

June

75

July

60

August

50

September

40

October

55

November

60

December

40

2008

January

45

February

40

March

35

(1) Figures rounded to nearest five.
(2) Provisional figures.

Asylum refusals( 1) on initial decisions in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants 2003-07, nationals of Somalia

Total refusals

2003

3,835

2004

2,355

2005

1,000

2006(2)

905

2007(2)

710

(1) Figures rounded to nearest five.
(2) Provisional figures.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sudanese people have been refused asylum in the UK in each of the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years; and how many are awaiting a decision on an asylum application. [220636]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 21 July 2008]: The accompanying two tables give the most recently published figures available and show the total number of refusals for Sudanese people, following initial decisions, between April 2007 and March 2008 and for each of the last five years.

The published figure for asylum applications for Sudanese people awaiting an initial decision is not available as the figures are based on an overall manual count which is not divided into separate categories.

Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2007 and for Q2 2008 will be available on 21 August 2008 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate.


22 July 2008 : Column 1326W
Asylum refusals on initial decisions( 1, 2) in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants April 2007 - March 2008 by month, nationals of Sudan

Total refusals

2007

April

25

May

20

June

30

July

30

August

20

September

10

October

10

November

15

December

10

2008

January

10

February

10

March

15


Asylum refusals( 1) on initial decisions in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants 2003-07, nationals of Sudan

Total refusals

2003

595

2004

1,305

2005

900

2006(2)

510

2007(2)

300

(1) Figures rounded to nearest 5.
(2) Provisional figures

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of political violence involving Zimbabweans have been recorded in (a) Southend and (b) the UK in the last 24 months. [217658]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 10 July 2008]: The information requested is not collected centrally. From the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office, it is not possible to identify whether (a) a crime was politically motivated or (b) the nationality of either the victim or the alleged offender.

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding applications for asylum there were from Zimbabwean nationals in (a) Southend and (b) England and Wales at the end of (i) 2004, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2006 and (iv) 2007. [220121]

Mr. Byrne: The requested information is unavailable as it is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.

Further information on asylum is published annually and quarterly and is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate website at:


22 July 2008 : Column 1327W

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Zimbabwean people have been refused asylum in the UK in each of the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years; and how many are awaiting a decision on an asylum application. [220635]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 21 July 2008]: The following two tables give the most recently published figures available and show the total number of refusals for Zimbabwean people, following initial decisions, between April 2007 and March 2008 and for each of the last five years.

The published figure for asylum applications for Zimbabwean people awaiting an initial decision is not available as the figures are based on an overall manual count which is not divided into separate categories.

Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2007 and for Q2 2008 will be available on 21 August 2008 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate web site at:

Asylum refusals( 1) on initial decisions in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants 2003-07, nationals of Zimbabwe

Total refusals

2003

3,285

2004

2,310

2005

945

2006(2)

1,510

2007(2)

1,155

(1) Figures rounded to nearest five.
(2) Provisional figures.

Asylum refusals on initial decisions( 1,2) in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants April 2007 to March 2008 by month, nationals of Zimbabwe

Total refusals

2007

April

95

May

140

June

115

July

135

August

85

September

70

October

80

November

105

December

70

2008

January

80

February

100

March

90

(1) Figures rounded to nearest five.
(2) Provisional figures.

Border and Immigration Agency: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood’s letter to the Border and Immigration Agency of 8 April 2008 on behalf of Mamta Devi, Home Office reference number D1104208 and her further letter of 23 May 2008, correspondence reference B18481/8. [219873]


22 July 2008 : Column 1328W

Mr. Byrne: The UK Border Agency replied to the right hon. Member's first letter in a letter received by her on 14 May 2008 and her letter of 23 May was replied to on 17 July 2008.

Borders: Personal Records

Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the companies within the consortium selected to deliver the e-Borders programme have had experience of delivering this type of system; and for which governments or companies each has delivered similar programmes. [220274]

Mr. Byrne: Within the Trusted Borders consortium, Raytheon Systems Ltd., Serco, Accenture, Detica, QinetiQ, Steria and Cap Gemini all have experience in delivering programmes with similar capabilities to e-Borders. These include:

Cannabis: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of children (a) under 14, (b) 14 to 16 and (c) between 17 and 18 years old who (i) have tried skunk cannabis and (ii) smoke skunk cannabis at least once a week in each of the last 10 years. [216999]

Mr. Coaker: There are two primary sources of statistics on the use of illicit drugs by young people: the British crime survey (which covers England and Wales) and the smoking drinking and drug use survey among young people in England. However, both surveys ask questions about the use of cannabis in general and it is not possible to report separately on the use of skunk.


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