§ Mr. DavidsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on financial support for asylum seekers. [57265]
§ Beverley HughesDestitute asylum seekers can apply for support whilst their claim is being considered. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) deals with applications for support. Asylum seekers requiring support can request subsistence and accommodation, subsistence only or accommodation only. Current levels of support are provided in the table. Where accommodation is requested this will normally be provided on a no choice basis in one of the dispersal areas. Accommodation is fully furnished and includes 623W kitchen utensils. The costs of the accommodation including associated utility bills and council tax are met centrally.
Levels of Support with effect from 8 April 2002 £ Qualifying couple 59.26 Lone parent aged 18 or over 37.77 Single person aged 25 or over 37.77 Single Person aged at least 18 but under 25 29.89 Person aged at least 16 but under 18 (except a member of a qualifying couple) 32.50 Person aged under 16 33.50 Some asylum seekers remain supported by local authorities under the interim provisions. Others are supported under income support arrangements.
The budget for National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in 2000–01 was £38 million*. This figure includes grants totalling £22 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees. Total spending on asylum support in the year 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 was £751 million*. This includes grant payments of £580 million* to local authorities and the Scottish Executive for provision of accommodation and support for asylum seeking adults and families under the Interim Regulations and for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). A further £12 million* was paid to local authorities and the Scottish Executive directly by NASS under contracts to provide accommodation and related services for dispersed asylum seekers. £46 million* was paid directly by NASS to private sector accommodation providers for the provision of accommodation and related services to dispersed asylum seekers.
The budget for NASS for the last financial year, 2001–2002, was £40.0 million*. This figure included grants totalling £18.1 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees. The budget for asylum support for 2001–2002 was £1,094 million*.
The NASS budget for 2002–2003 is £40.5 million*. This figure includes grants totalling £18.6 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers. The current budget for support is £434 million.
* All figures rounded to nearest £ million.
§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if asylum-seeking adults with dependent children who do not qualify for support will be allowed to work. [59994]
§ Beverley HughesGenerally speaking asylum seekers are not allowed to work whilst their application for asylum is being considered. But under the terms of the employment concession an asylum seeker can apply for permission to work if, and only if, their application remains outstanding for longer than six months without a decision being made on it. There are no plans to amend the way the concession operates. The concession is applied across the board, to supported and unsupported asylum seekers alike.
An asylum seeker with dependant children who does not qualify for support is not automatically allowed to work.
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§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects cash-only support for new asylum applicants to end. [62530]
§ Beverley HughesThe White Paper, Secure Border Safe Haven, published 7 February 2002 made it clear that we are looking at the case for abolishing the "cash-only" option and the Bill currently being debated by Parliament does include a provision for an Order making power for the withdrawal of the cash only support option either wholly or in specified circumstances. However, no decisions have been taken about when and how the power, if agreed, will be exercised.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many languages are spoken among those whose claims for asylum are registered and undetermined. [62174]
§ Beverly Hughes[holding answer 18 June 2002]: The number of applicants who have applied for asylum and are currently awaiting an initial decision on their asylum application is not available by either language spoken or nationality, and would only be available at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.