| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Written Answers
Wednesday, 16th October 2002.
Sudan
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What response they, the United States and Norway are making to the Sudanese Government's ban on all flights over Equatoria; and what action they will take to ensure the continuance of the United Nations-led Operation Lifeline Sudan and the safety of relief workers throughout southern Sudan.[HL5877]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): We were concerned by the Government of Sudan's flight ban over Equatoria and made high level representations in Khartoum and to the Sudanese Foreign Minister when he visited the United Kingdom at the end of September. We and others urged the Government of Sudan to give all possible help to the United Nations and non-governmental organisations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. We therefore welcomed the Government of Sudan's decision to lift the flight ban on 7 October. We continue to be concerned at the number of flight denials to specific locations. Along with our EU partners we are continuing to raise this issue with the Government of Sudan.
Police Officers: Retention
Lord Janner of Braunstone asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they propose to take to encourage police officers not to retire after their initial 30 years' service; and[HL5786]
Whether consideration has now been completed as to whether any changes are required to the power to postpone the retirement of police officers; and[HL5787]
Whether they have decided on options that might be used to encourage suitable police officers to delay their retirements.[HL5788]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): As we stated in the Police Reform White Paper of last December, we recognise that the current police pension scheme lacks the incentives to encourage officers to stay beyond 30 years and we are looking at ways of modernising police pensions to make them more flexible and affordable for future entrants. Any changes affecting new entrants will, however, take time to work through. We have therefore also been considering more immediate measures to retain the important skills and experience of officers beyond 30 years under the current police pension scheme.
The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) agreed in May flexible arrangements that would give managers in the police service scope to retain officers who are entitled to retire with maximum benefits where they so wish. The arrangements agreed by the PNB entail an officer retiring with a lump sum in the ordinary way and then being re-engaged in his or her previous rank where management consider that would be helpful. We are currently considering the details of these arrangements and the proposal that the scheme should initially be piloted in five forces.
Passport and Records Agency Annual Accounts
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Passport and Records Agency intends to publish its annual accounts for 2001–02.
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Passport and Records Agency accounts 2001–02 have been published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
MigrationWatch Report
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their response to the MigrationWatch Report which demonstrates that in 2001, 97,500 asylum seekers, including their spouses and children, who should have been deported as a consequence of Home Office decisions, remained in this country. [HL5814]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Filkin): We have noted the MigrationWatch UK report and will be considering it.
Officials have discussed the calculation with MigrationWatch and are due to meet MigrationWatch to discuss the validity of the underlying assumptions.
Information on asylum applications, decisions, appeals and removals in 2001 was published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2001 on the Home Office
Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Asylum Seekers
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many of the asylum seekers within the United Kingdom in January, estimated as 24,000, have not been accepted; and how many have left the United Kingdom since January. [HL5837]
Lord Filkin: The number of asylum applications in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, made in January 2002 was 6,575.
The number of asylum applicants awaiting an initial decision at the end of January 2002 was 36,500, excluding dependants. The number of these applicants who have since been refused asylum and Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR), some of whom have subsequently appealed, who have been removed since January (including returns under the voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)), is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
It is also not possible to say how many of these applicants were refused asylum and ELR and (whether after an unsuccessful appeal or not) voluntarily left the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.
Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many people, having entered the United Kingdom, have applied for asylum this year.[HL5838]
Lord Filkin: Information on how many asylum applicants entered the UK in a specific period is not available.
Excluding dependants, there were a total of 39,920 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom during the first six months of 2002, of which 26,925 applied in country. Including dependants, the total number of applicants was estimated to be 51,500.
Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication will present statistics for the third quarter of 2002 and will be available from 29 November 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www. homoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will set up a maximum period during which asylum applicants who are not charged with any offence may be detained; and, if so, what period they would consider appropriate.[HL5874]
Lord Filkin: There is no express statutory time limit on detention under the Immigration Act 1971 and we have no plans to set such a limit.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will give assurance that pregnant women will not be detained in custody for immigration or asylum reasons (unless awaiting deportation); and, if not, why not.[HL5875]
Lord Filkin: Pregnant women are not normally considered suitable for detention under the Immigration Acts unless there is a clear prospect of early removal from the United Kingdom and medical advice suggests no question of confinement prior to this.
Sri Lanka Asylum Seekers
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether in April 2002 in Sri Lanka the Deputy High Commissioner, Peter Hughes, stated that the United Kingdom would not be removing unsuccessful asylum seekers until a lasting solution has been found to the ethnic conflict; and, if so, whether the statement is a reflection of government policy.[HL5844]
Lord Filkin: The Deputy High Commissioner was misquoted in April 2002. There has been no change in government policy regarding the removal of unsuccessful Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Indeed, removals were taking place to Colombo during the civil conflict in Sri Lanka and before the commencement of the ceasefire agreement and moves towards a peace settlement.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many Sri Lankans were removed to their country of origin in each quarter for each year from 1998 to and including 2002.[HL5845]
Lord Filkin: I regret that the requested information on the destination of persons removed from the UK is not collated centrally.
The available information relates to the number of Sri Lankan asylum seekers removed. The latest available quarterly data are given in the table.
| Qtr 1 2001 | Qtr 2 | Qtr 3 | Qtr 4 | Qtr 1 2002 | |
| Sri Lanka | 35 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
| (1) (2) (3) |
(1) Estimates of asylum removals by nationality - principal applicants removed only. Includes persons departing "voluntarily" after the initiation of enforcement action against them and persons leaving under assisted voluntary returns programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.
(2) Persons removed to Sri Lanka or a third safe country.
(3) Quarterly data not available prior to 2001.
Figures are rounded to nearest five.
Equivalent data about the number of Sri Lankans who were removed but who had not claimed asylum are not available.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why Major (Retired) Christine Lloyd has been refused access to the Ministry of Defence consultant
16 Oct 2002 : Column WA53
- (now serving as the Deputy Director of Aviation Medicine) who assessed her in May 1996 as suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, attributable to her service in the Gulf War; and whether any Minister has discussed, or will discuss, with the consultant his supportive opinion of 13 May 1996.[HL5772]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The Deputy Director of Aviation Medicine was Head of Ministry of Defence's Gulf Veteran's Medical Assessment Programme (GVMAP) until 31 December 1996. It would be inappropriate for him to discuss Major (Retired) Lloyd's case with her as there is no longer a patient doctor relationship between them. The current head of the GVMAP is very willing to discuss the medical aspects of Major (Retired) Lloyd's case with her, or her representatives, provided she gives her written consent. It would be inappropriate for Ministers to intervene in clinical matters. They have not done so and have no plans to do so in this case.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page