HC Deb 21 May 1996 vol 278 cc97-8W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 7 May,Official Report, column 45, how many respondents to the consultation on the Asylum and Immigration Bill (a) were in favour of the measures and how many against, (b) mentioned costs or burdens to business, (c) objected to the checking of documents other than national insurance and (d) suggested that compliance costs would be higher than those indicated in the compliance cost assessment. [29964]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 May 1996]: A summary of 67 responses to the consultation document on the prevention of illegal working was made available to the House before report stage of the Asylum and Immigration Bill. It indicates that Fifteen respondents indicated either support or opposition. Of these four respondents actively supported the particular proposals whereas 11 expressed clear opposition to the principle of employers making any checks on their new employees; Twenty-seven respondents commented on costs or burdens to business in response to a specific question on compliance costs. Fifteen respondents suggested that compliance costs would be higher than those indicated in the compliance cost assessment. Ten said that they expected no, or very minimal, compliance costs and two indicated that in their view the assessment seemed reasonable. Three respondents suggested that national insurance numbers should provide the sole defence for employers. Twenty-one respondents indicated that the checking of documents such as foreign passports would be more complicated or onerous, although five suggested that such checking should not be too difficult if written guidance and a telephone helpline were available.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department estimates will be the initial and annual cost per small firm of the implementation of clause 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill. [29963]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 May 1996]: The compliance cost assessment prepared last November estimated that the non-current costs of clause 8 will be £13,524,800. For a firm with under 100 employees non-recurrent costs were estimated to be £10.70. It was estimated that the total recurrent costs for all employers might be up to £11,451,200 or less than 68p per employee per annum, but no assessment was made of the proportion of those costs which might fall to small firms.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the cost to business of clause 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill; how much it will cost each year; and what estimate he has made of the cost to businesses with fewer than(a) 100, (b) 50 and (c) 20 employees. [29950]

Miss Widdecombe

The compliance cost assessment prepared last November estimated that the non-recurrent costs of clause 8 will be £13,524,800. For a firm with under 100 employees non-recurrent costs were estimated to be £10.70. It was estimated that the total recurrent costs for all employers might be up to £11,451,200 or less than 68p per employee per annum. No assessment was made of the proportion of the recurrent costs which might fall to firms of the sizes mentioned.