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Zimbabwean Asylum Seekers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many Zimbabwean asylum seekers are being detained; whether the policy of the Government is not to return them to Zimbabwe; and if so, why these people are not being granted temporary admission. [HL4059]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker): The latest available information on the number of persons detained under Immigration Act powers relates to 29 December 2001. As at that date, 135 Zimbabweans (to the nearest five) were being detained who are recorded as having claimed asylum at some stage, which excludes persons detained in police cells. Forty-five of these were being held at Oakington Reception Centre as part of the fast-track asylum process.
Information on Immigration Act detainees as at 30 March 2002 will be published on 30 May 2002 on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
We have continued, where appropriate, to detain Zimbabwean asylum seekers at Oakington Reception Centre as part of the fast-track asylum process. Aside from such individuals, there will be a small number of people who are detained at present pending removal while persons concerned will normally be granted bail or temporary admission as appropriate while the suspension of removals remains in place.
On 15 January 2001, we announced a temporary suspension of returns of unsuccessful asylum applicants to Zimbabwe. We will resume these only when we are satisfied that it is safe to do so, and not before. We are monitoring events in the aftermath of the Zimbabwe presidential election in close liaison with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). There is no set time-scale, but it would be unrealistic to be able to make any decision on a resumption of removals until the immediate post-election situation has calmed down and we have had time to assess properly the risks to returnees and gather and consider the views of FCO and others. bern
Asylum Seekers: Maternity Benefits
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will require the National Asylum Support Service and local authorities to ensure that women asylum seekers who are pregnant receive free milk and vitamins, and in particular that such women who are HIV positive receive free formula milk after giving birth to avoid infecting their children by breastfeeding.[HL4068]
Lord Rooker: The welfare food scheme is under review and we will continue to monitor the level of support provided to asylum seekers and their families. Asylum seekers in receipt of support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) who have a baby are eligible to apply for a one-off maternity payment of £300 to meet the costs associated with the arrival of a baby. In addition the family's level of subsistence is recalculated. For each child under the age of 16 the family receives £33.50 per week.
Children of asylum seekers receive the same level of personal allowance as those of parents on jobseeker's allowance or income support. It must be remembered that the full package includes fully furnished
accommodation, utility bills and council tax, the costs of which are met centrally. In addition, asylum seekers supported by NASS also qualify for free prescriptions, dental and optical treatment.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will ensure that women asylum seekers who are pregnant are informed about the maternity grant and are helped to claim it, if possible before giving birth.[HL4069]
Lord Rooker: The grant-aided voluntary organisations that assist asylum seekers to apply for support from the National Asylum Support Service normally also provide information to them about the availability of maternity payments for women who are due to give birth or have recently given birth. This information will also form an integral part of the briefing given to asylum seekers at the Induction Centres, which are currently being trialed. In addition, advice about the maternity payment for asylum seekers can be found on the Home Office web-site.
Immigration Service Operational Enforcement Manual
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 19 March 2001 (WA 127) and by the Lord Rooker on 11 April 2002 (WA 111), what work needs to be undertaken before they are able to publish the operational enforcement manual containing instructions for members of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and what are their current estimates for the period of time needed for this work to be completed.[HL4073]
Lord Rooker: A revised edition of the enforcement manual was issued at the end of last year. A further exercise needs to be conducted to identify those passages whose disclosure might prejudice the effective operation of the immigration control. Once this has been done, we shall consider whether or not the harm likely to arise from their disclosure outweighs the public interest; and whether or not they can be reworded in a form that would allow their publication. We aim to have completed the entire exercise and have the whole of the manual available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk by the end of this year. It is possible that some sections will be available before then.
Iraq: UNSCOM Findings
Lord Hughes of Woodside asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assessment they have made of unaccounted stocks of Iraqi precursor chemicals, chemical agents and special munitions, based on the findings of the United Nations Special Commission.[HL4158]
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): In answer to Questions on 12 March, my right honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary said that weapons inspectors were unable to account for 4,000 tonnes of so-called precursor chemicals used in the production of weapons; 610 tonnes of precursor chemicals used in the production of nerve gas; and 31,000 chemical weapons munitions (Official Report, Commons, 12/3/02; col. 744).
This information was the best available at the time, and was based on Iraqi declarations to UNSCOM inspectors between 1991–98 and data contained in an UNSCOM report published in 1999.
Since he gave this answer, Her Majesty's Government have carried out a more detailed study. This latest assessment of the quantities of material unaccounted for by UNSCOM inspectors which has potential applications in Iraq's chemical and biological weapons programes is as follows:
- up to 3,000 tonnes of precursor chemicals, approximately 300 tonnes of which, in the Iraqi CW programme, were unique to the production of VX nerve agent;
- up to 360 tonnes of bulk CW agent including 1.5 tonnes of VX;
- and over 30,000 special munitions for delivery of chemical and biological agents;
- large quantities of growth media acquired for use in the production of biological weapons—enough to produce over three times the amount of anthrax Iraq admits to having manufactured.
Export Licences: Arms and Military Equipment
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, they will make export licences for arms and military equipment conditional on the provision by exporters of contract-specific no-bribery warranties.[HL4029]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation has no plans to make export licences for arms and military equipment conditional on the provision by exporters of contract-specific no bribery warranties.
The Government are committed to working with our international partners and the business community to ensure that there is effective action both here and abroad to tackle the problem of corruption, as the UK's ratifications of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 make clear.
"Ms B" Case: Legal Advice
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the independent legal advice received by the management of the National Health Service trust involved in the judicial case of "Ms B" supported the position being taken by "Ms B" herself; whether the National Health Service trust chose to reject that advice; and what were the legal costs incurred by the National Health Service trust in contesting the case through the courts.[HL3716]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The National Health Service trust took the legal advice given by its solicitors and it is understood did not reject the advice. Advice and guidance was also sought from outside experts and other organisations. The trust has always accepted that a competent patient has the right to refuse all forms of treatment and the right to request withdrawal of treatment even if this decision is life-threatening.
"Ms B" issued legal proceedings in January 2002 and the trust decided that the case should proceed to a hearing so that the court could determine the outcome.
The trust's legal costs are in the region of £40,000 plus value added tax and disbursements.
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