HC Deb 09 February 2000 vol 344 cc166-7W
Mr. Coleman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who are(a) single adults, (b) families with children and (c) unaccompanied children in each London borough were being supplied through (i) the Social Services departments and (ii) other housing departments on 31 January. [108797]

Mrs. Roche

Central Government do not collect information in the form requested. I understand that the Association of London Government collates data on the numbers of single adults, families and unaccompanied minors being supported by London boroughs each week. A breakdown between those persons supported by social services departments or other housing departments is not available.

The latest figures available from the Association of London Government, for the week ending 7 January 2000, are set out in the table.

Table showing the number of asylum seekers being supported by London boroughs1 at 7 January 2000
Borough Total number of asylum seekers Unaccompanied minors2 Single adults Number of families3 Number of people in families
Waltham Forest 2,250 — 1,150 490 1,100
Wandsworth 970 10 210 220 750
Westminster 2,260 160 740 410 1,360
Total 57,940 3,170 19,170 11,520 36,600
1 A significant proportion of the single adults live in other areas of the country but the accommodation is organised by London local authorities.
2 Unaccompanied children under 17.
3 Families include cases with only dependant adults.
4 Updated figures not yet reported, figures taken from previous report.

Mr. Gerrard

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has taken to ensure that current overstayers will not lose the right to a suspensive appeal against a decision to remove them taken after 1 October. [109544]

Mrs. Roche

Section 9 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 provides for a minimum three month period during which overstayers can apply to regularise their immigration status. If they do so, and the application is refused after the new removal procedures are implemented, the old procedures will apply to their case after 1 October and a suspensive right of appeal will be retained.

The Immigration (Regularisation Period for Overstayers) Regulations 2000 came into force on Tuesday 8 February. The period runs from now until 1 October 2000, which is the day before the Human Rights Act 1998 is expected to come into force, and thus lasts for a minimum of almost eight months.

I shall shortly write to all Members, giving details of the scheme and how an application should be made under it. I shall place copies of the information leaflet we have produced in the Library. We shall be discussing further publicity with relevant interest groups, but as a first step the leaflets are being distributed to local community groups through the Citizens Advice Bureaux and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

The scheme is solely intended to retain a suspensive right of appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority for those overstayers who make a specific application to us during the period. It is by no means an amnesty: the same considerations apply whether an application under the scheme is made or not. All overstayers should be aware that a decision to remove them from the United Kingdom is, and will, remain the normal response to their unlawful behaviour. Only when the compassionate circumstances outweigh the public interest in maintaining an effective immigration control will we allow them to remain.