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9 Mar 2009 : Column 74W—continued

Immigration: Marriage

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to record the occasions on which a failure to fulfil the probationary period for those seeking settlement on the basis of marriage is used as a basis for removing a person’s right to remain in the UK. [260385]

Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not available. The reasons for refusal are recorded on individual case files and data on this could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Sri Lanka

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankan asylum seekers (a) applied for asylum, (b) were granted asylum, (c) were otherwise given leave to remain in the UK and (d) were removed from the UK in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008. [254537]

Mr. Woolas: The following tables show the number of Sri Lankan who applied for asylum, were granted asylum or subsidiary protection at initial decision or on appeal and the number who were removed from the UK, between January 2005 and September 2008. Initial decision, appeal and removal figures do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same year.

Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Q4 2008 statistics will be available on 24 February 2009 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate website at:

Asylum applications( 1) received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, and initial decisions( 2) on applications, January 2005 to September 2008, nationals of Sri Lanka
Principal applicants
Applications Decisions

Total Port In country Total decisions Grants of asylum Grants of humanitarian protection Grants of discretionary leave Total refusals

2005

395

90

310

520

5

60

455

2006

525

125

400

430

5

55

370

2007(3)

990

195

795

935

65

*

55

810

January to September 2008(3)

1,040

160

880

645

120

*

45

480

(1) Figures rounded to nearest 5, (— = 0, * = 1 or 2).
(2) Information is of initial decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
(3) Provisional figures.

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9 Mar 2009 : Column 76W

Appeals outcomes determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal( 1) , excluding dependants, nationals of Sri Lanka, January 2005 to September 2008
Principal appellants
Appeals determined by immigration judges( 2)
Allowed( 3) Dismissed( 3) Withdrawn( 3, 4)

Total determined( 3) Total As percentage of determined Total As percentage of determined Total As percentage of determined

2005

630

70

11

535

85

25

4

2006

440

85

19

335

76

20

5

2007(5)

865

240

28

595

69

25

3

January to September 2008(5)

530

175

34

335

64

15

3

(1) Figures rounded to nearest 5 (except percentages), with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.
(2) All figures for appeals determined are cases dealt with by immigration judges.
(3) Based on information supplied by the AIT. Determinations do not necessarily relate to appeals received in the same period.
(4) Figures include cases withdrawn by the Home Office, as well as those withdrawn by the appellant.
(5) Provisional figures.

Removals, voluntary departures and assisted returns( 1) of principal asylum cases( 2) , nationals of Sri Lanka, January 2005 to September 2008
Number of removals( 3)

Total principal asylum cases removed, nationals of Sri Lanka

2005

425

2006

715

2007(4)

505

January to September 2008(4)

210

(1) Includes enforced removals, port asylum removals which have been performed by enforcement officers using port powers of removal (and a small number of cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and since January 2005, persons who it has been established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.
(2) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, excluding dependants.
(3) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (— = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.
(4) Provisional figures.

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 2259W, on human trafficking, when she plans to write to the hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire with the information referred to. [253745]

Mr. Alan Campbell: A reply was sent on 28 January 2009.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 4 December 2008, regarding Mrs. Shakeela Bano. [259872]

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 January 2009.

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 e-mail to the UK Border Agency of 23 October 2008 on behalf of Felix Kankwamba, Home Office reference K1115877. [260548]

Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency replied to the right hon. Member on 3 March 2009.

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Borders and Immigration plans to reply to the inquiry from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 23 October 2008 on behalf of Momodou Saidyjah, reference J1146013. [261010]

Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the right hon. Member on 3 March 2009.

Mental Illness

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight Report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if she will make a statement. [244022]

Mr. Woolas: The Home Office welcomes this Foresight report and will be assessing the implications of its findings for departmental business in respect of the areas covered by the report.

National Identity Register: Expenditure

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on the National Identity Register to date. [258102]

Meg Hillier: It is not possible to provide a specific breakdown of spend to date relating to the National Identity Register without incurring disproportionate costs.

Contracts that have been let to date provide a range of capabilities and not all costs of these contracts or the programmes to support them are attributable to the development of the National Identity Register alone.

National Policing Improvement Agency: Manpower

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff work in each section of the National Policing Improvement Agency. [254821]

Jacqui Smith: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has six directorates, spread across a number of sites. The Resources directorate and Secretariat provide business support to NPIA, while all other Directorates provide direct support and services to police forces.


9 Mar 2009 : Column 77W

The total number of staff as at 12 February 2009 was 2,192. This includes permanent staff, secondees, fixed term appointments, officers on loan and contractors.
9 Mar 2009 : Column 78W
The following table provides a breakdown of staff by directorate.

Directorate Permanent Fixed contract Secondee Loan External employee Total

Information communications technology and science

207

7

53

131

398

Operations

297

5

43

2

32

379

People and development

347

21

116

4

65

553

Policing policy and practice

206

16

117

2

145

486

Resources

177

5

4

4

134

324

Secretariat

36

1

12

1

2

52

Total

1,270

55

345

13

509

2,192


Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the work of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. [261218]

Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency regularly monitors information it receives from the OISC about its performance and how it is meeting its business objectives.


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