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30 Mar 2009 : Column 934W—continued
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 59W, on the Warm Front scheme, what estimate he has made of the number of eligible households which are classified as being in fuel poverty. [266768]
Joan Ruddock: According to the English House Condition survey of 2006, at least 25 per cent. of all vulnerable households eligible for the scheme were fuel poor and approximately 3.3 million households were eligible for assistance. Given these figures, the Department estimates that approximately 825,00 households eligible for the scheme at this time were fuel poor. It is likely, however, that many of the residual number may have otherwise fallen into, or have been near falling into fuel poverty, as a result of gas and electricity price increases in 2007 and 2008.
Warm Front Scheme: East Sussex
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many of the households supplied with light bulbs under the Warm Front scheme in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex received bulbs which were classified as energy-efficient in each of the last nine years. [267509]
Joan Ruddock: All households who have applied and been found eligible for Warm Front in Eastbourne and East Sussex received light bulbs which were energy efficient. A break down is provided as follows:
| Eastbourne | East Sussex | |
Home Department
Animal Experiments: Primates
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of using (a) F1 and (b) F2 primates in (i) pharmaceutical testing and (ii) other common areas of testing. [266909]
Meg Hillier: No estimates have yet been made of the cost of using F1 and F2 generation non-human primates bred for research purposes under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in either pharmaceutical testing or other common areas of testing.
We will consider these costs in assessing the impact of the European Commission’s proposal for a draft directive for the protection of animals used in scientific procedures to replace Directive 86/609/EEC published in November 2008. We will publish the impact assessment when we consult formally on the draft directive.
Asylum
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the immigration status of the asylum seeker with the Home Office reference M1225028 was on 2 April 2007. [242366]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency replied to the hon. Member on 11 December 2008.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the immigration status of the asylum seeker with Home Office reference Y1062497 was on 2 April 2007. [242367]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency replied to the hon. Member on 11 December 2008.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding cases the UK Border Agency’s Case Resolution Directorate had at the latest date for which figures are available. [242834]
Mr. Woolas: A previous Home Secretary informed Parliament in July 2006 of
“the immigration and nationality directorate’s case load of around 400,000 to 450,000 electronic and paper records, which, as honourable Members also know, are riddled with duplication and errors, and include cases of individuals who have since died or left the country, or are now EU citizens... We will tackle the case load in the IND with the aim of clearing it-not in 25 years, as has been suggested, but in five or less.”—[ Official Report, 19 July 2006, Vol 449, c.324.]
In her update to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Lin Homer, the UK Border Agency chief executive has stated that 130,000 cases have now been concluded up to the end of October 2008. The number of conclusions has increased to 155,500 as at 9 January 2009. The Case Resolution Directorate is on track to complete all cases by summer 2011.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases the UK Border Agency’s Case Resolution Directorate has resolved in each month since it was established, broken down by (a) applicants granted leave, (b) applicants refused leave, (c) cases withdrawn by the applicant and (d) cases closed on administrative grounds. [242835]
Mr. Woolas: The Case Resolution Directorate in the period July to November 2007 had total conclusions of 52,000 cases and this is broken down as 19,000 were grants, 16,000 were removals and 17,000 were other conclusions such as errors and duplicates.
Between 1 December 2007 and 31 May 2008 the Case Resolution Directorate total conclusions were 90,000 and this is broken down as 39,000 were grants, 20,000 were removals and 32,000 were other conclusions where there were errors or duplicates found in the system.
Between 1 June 2008 and 31 October 2008 the Case Resolution Directorate total conclusions had reached 130,000 and this is broken down as 51,000 grants, 23,500 removals and 53,500 other conclusions such as errors and duplicates on the system.
To obtain the information on withdrawn claims as applicants often do withdraw their claim would involve a detailed examination of our case records and so this would involve a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of applicants granted leave by the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Directorate were granted (a) temporary and (b) permanent leave to remain. [242836]
Mr. Woolas: We do not hold this information in this format and to obtain it would entail work being carried out at a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Directorate planned to resolve in each quarter of 2008. [242837]
Mr. Woolas: We are prioritising cases likely to cause harm, cases facing removal and cases likely to be granted, and these cases take considerably more casework time than "others" such as errors or duplicates. The Case Resolution Directorate has ramped up performance in dealing with the asylum legacy cases and is now resolving several thousand every month. Up to 9 January 2009 they had concluded 155,500 cases, up from 130,000 case conclusions reported in December 2008.
Asylum: Deportation
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which countries her Department cannot return unsuccessful asylum seekers on humanitarian grounds; and how many unsuccessful asylum seekers from each such country were present in the United Kingdom on 1 November 2008. [243122]
Mr. Woolas: There are no countries to which there is a blanket approach of not returning failed asylum seekers on humanitarian grounds. The Government believe that the right approach is to consider the protection needs of individuals on an individual basis.
Each asylum and human rights claim is considered on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations and taking full account of conditions in the country concerned as they impact on the individual. Those found to be in need of international protection are provided with it. Failed asylum seekers of all nationalities who have been found by the Home Office and the appeals process not to be in need of international protection and have no legal basis of stay in the UK are expected to return to their country of origin and may have their removal enforced.
Asylum: Housing
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 915W, on asylum: housing, how many properties are covered by the 28 contracts with providers to supply accommodation for asylum seekers. [267459]
Mr. Woolas: Information on the number of properties covered by the UK Border Agency’s 28 contracts with accommodation providers to supply accommodation for asylum seekers could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Asylum: Palestinians
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers there are in the UK from (a) the Palestinian territories and (b) the Gaza Strip who have not been granted leave to remain and for which the Government have no removal plans; and if she will make a statement. [264175]
Mr. Woolas: Since the phasing out of embarkation controls in 1994 no Government have been able to produce accurate figures for the number of failed asylum seekers who have remained in the United Kingdom after they have reached the Appeal Rights Exhausted stage, have not been granted leave to remain and no longer have any further claim to remain here. This applies irrespective of an individual's nationality or place of origin.
All asylum claims including those from individuals from the Palestinian territories (including the Gaza strip) are considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 refugee convention and the European convention on human rights. Those identified by the decision-making process and the independent appeals process not to be in need of international protection are expected to leave the UK voluntarily. Failed asylum seekers can and do voluntarily return to the Palestinian territories (including the Gaza strip). Those who do not leave voluntarily may have their return enforced.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers there are in the UK from (a) the Palestinian territories and (b) the Gaza Strip awaiting a decision on a new claim for asylum and for which the Government have no removal plans; and if she will make a statement. [264176]
Mr. Woolas: Information on the number of failed asylum seekers who have made further submissions on their case which are still awaiting consideration can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. This applies irrespective of an individual's nationality or place of origin. Further submissions will only be classed as a fresh claim retrospectively following their full consideration where the submissions meet the criteria set out in paragraph 353 of the Immigration Rules.
All asylum claims including those from individuals from the Palestinian territories (including the Gaza strip) are considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 refugee convention and the European convention on human rights. Those identified by the decision-making process and the independent appeals process as not being in need of international protection are expected to leave the UK voluntarily. Failed asylum seekers can and do voluntarily return to the Palestinian territories (including the Gaza strip). Those who do not leave voluntarily may have their return enforced.
However, the UK Border Agency will not enforce the return of a failed asylum seeker who has made further submissions in their case as long as those submissions, including any appeal if the submissions are accepted as a fresh claim, remain pending. Again, this applies irrespective of an individual's nationality or place or origin.
Asylum: Sexual Offences
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers on entry into the UK have used (a) sexual assault, (b) rape and (c) gender-based violence as the basis for their asylum claim in each year since 2001. [264521]
Jacqui Smith: 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.
Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Statistics for the first quarter of 2009 will be available in May 2009 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
Borders: Personal Records
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the e-Borders system to have captured (a) 100 million and (b) 200 million passenger movements; and when she expects the system will have captured 20 million passenger movements utilising passenger name record data. [267215]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency expects the e-Borders system will capture:
(a) 100 million passengers per year by June 2009.
(b) 200 million passengers per year by December 2010.
The capture of an additional 20 million passenger movements, utilising passenger name record data, will be achieved by December 2010.
Cannabis
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009, Official Report, column 673W, on cannabis, where illegal drugs used for police training purposes are (a) obtained and (b) stored; and what guidance her Department has issued to police forces on such matters. [262367]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 10 March 2009]: Cannabis is the only drug where smell and touch cannot be replicated. Other illegal drugs are represented by facsimiles that are purchased by police forces as a “dummy box”.
Cannabis is obtained from confiscations which are marked for destruction once the respective case is closed.
The illegal drugs are stored in property stores, the majority of which are located at respective police force headquarters. Property stores are strong, locked rooms with separate drugs cabinets. These are under the control and supervision of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Close supervision is exercised by a senior officer to ensure proper removal, use and replacement of the substances. Release can be obtained only by authorised drug trainers.
Crime
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of (a) firearms incidents, (b) licensing incidents, (c) suspicious circumstances and (d) truancy, as defined by the National Incident Category List, were recorded by each police force in 2007-08. [258636]
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