HC Deb 25 January 1995 vol 253 cc226-8W
Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many special adjudicators are employed by the Immigration Appeals Authority; and what plans he has to increase that number.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The Lord Chancellor has designated 62 immigration adjudicators to be special adjudicators for the purposes of section 8(5) of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993, 18 of whom are full-time adjudicators. Ten new part-time special adjudicators were designated in December 1994 and further increases in the numbers are likely during the course of the year, the precise numbers depending on the work load of the immigration appellate authorities.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the total

1. Adjudicators
Adjudicators
Centre Staff in post Full-time Part-time Courtrooms
London 52 7 17 8
West London 43 7 26 15
Birmingham 8 2 13 4
Leeds 8 1 14 3
Manchester 7 15 4
Glasgow 7 1 8 2
125 18 93 36

2. Immigration Appeal Tribunal
No.
Staff in post 12
Chairmen Full-time 3
Part-time 7
Lay members 26
Courtrooms 2

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidance is given to special adjudicators of the Immigration Appeals Authority on the level of recognisance to be required when granting bail to persons detained under Immigration Act powers.

Mr. John M. Taylor

No such guidance is given by the Lord Chancellor's Department. The level of recognisance in these cases is a matter for the special adjudicator's discretion.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applications for bail were made to the Immigration Appeals Authority by persons detained under Immigration Act powers in(a) 1993 and (b) 1994 to date; and how many of these applications were successful.

Mr. John M. Taylor

There were 531 such applications in 1993; 898 in 1994; and to date there have been 56 in 1995. The outcome of a bail application is recorded on the individual file but results are not collated centrally. The information requested could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total cost in the financial year 1993–94 to his Department of hearing applications for bail by persons detained under Immigration Act powers.

Mr. John M. Taylor

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 15 December 1994,Official Report, column 729.

Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total budget of the Immigration Appeals Authority in the financial year 1993–94.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The total budget of the immigration appellate authorities in the financial year 1993–94 was £6,397,850.

establishment of the Immigration Appeals Authority; and if he will provide a breakdown of that establishment by function and location.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The information is set out in the tables: