HC Deb 17 April 2000 vol 348 cc378-9W
Mr. Hilary Benn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that asylum seekers in receipt of food vouchers are able to purchase food required for dietary or religious reasons, including halal meat. [118869]

Mrs. Roche

Our voucher provider, Sodexho Pass, is required to ensure that vouchers can be exchanged in a wide variety of retail outlets. A number of major retail stores accept the vouchers. In addition, Sodexho Pass have contracted with a large number of independent retailers, including stores supplying specialist dietary or religious needs.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 April 2000,Official Report, columns 366-68W, concerning applications for asylum, what grounds are required for admission of persons seeking asylum from each applicant state; what grounds have been regarded as acceptable in respect of those granted asylum; when he expects to publish complete figures for 1999; and what representations the Government have made to applicant Governments about such claims. [118865]

Mrs. Roche

All asylum applications, regardless of the applicant's nationality, are considered in accordance with the criteria set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. To qualify for asylum a person must be outside his/her country of nationality and have a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. Those who meet these criteria are granted asylum; those who do not meet the requirements of the 1951 Convention may nevertheless be granted exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom if there are exceptional compelling humanitarian reasons why they should not be required to leave. Asylum statistics for 1999 are expected to be published in June 2000.

Ministers and officials regularly take the opportunity to discuss the question of migration to the United Kingdom with the Governments of applicant nations. These discussions include measures which may be taken to prevent the possible abuse of the United Kingdom's immigration legislation and asylum process.

Mr. Borrow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which cities have been judged appropriate for the housing of asylum seekers with HIV infection under the new dispersal arrangements. [118948]

Mrs. Roche

We have not selected particular areas for those with HIV infection. Instead, when asylum seekers make an application for asylum they are invited to indicate whether they have any special needs. Consideration is given on a case-by-case basis to those needs both in terms of the accommodation and support package and the proximity to any medical treatment which may be required.

Mr. Coleman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost is to his Department as of the week commencing 9 April of placing(a) unaccompanied minors, (b) single asylum seekers and (c) asylum seekers' families with children in the cities of (i) Glasgow, (ii) Edinburgh, (iii) Liverpool, (iv) Sheffield and (v) Newcastle; and if he will make a statement. [118967]

Mrs. Roche

The information is not available.

The National Asylum Support Service has contracts with a number of private sector contractors. The information on contract price is commercially confidential. In any event, this information is not disaggregated by area of location.

The Home Office is not responsible for the costs of unaccompanied minors.