HC Deb 29 October 2002 vol 391 cc760-1W
Annabelle Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next plans to meet Scottish Executive ministers to discuss the impact of the Government's asylum policies on Scotland. [76911]

Beverley Hughes

[holding answer 24 October 2002]: Immigration and asylum are reserved issues. The Under-Secretary of State at the Scotland Office my hon. Friend the Member for Stirling (Mrs. McGuire) and I met the Scottish Minister for Social Justice (Margaret Curran) on 12 September; a further meeting will be arranged shortly. Home Office officials are also in regular contact with their counterparts in the Scottish Executive about the impact of the Government's asylum policies in Scotland.

Martin Linton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those who have sought asylum in the United Kingdom in each month in(a) 2001 and (b) 2002 have come from Somalia. [77288]

Beverley Hughes

The information requested is given in the table.

Applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom(excluding dependants), total and Somalia, January 2001 and June 20021,2
Month Total application Application from national of Somalia
Percentage of total
Jan-01 6,850 520 8
Feb-01 5,935 385 7
Mar-01 6,120 480 8
Apr-01 5,050 435 9
May-01 5,315 500 9
Jun-01 5,525 520 9
Jul-01 6,155 725 12
Aug-01 6,590 845 13
Sep-01 6,120 700 11
Oct-01 6,480 550 9
Nov-01 5,770 420 7
Dec-01 5,455 385 7
Jan-02 6,575 470 7
Feb-02 6,415 380 6
Mar-02 6,530 450 7
Apr-02 6,475 455 7
May-02 7,510 550 7
Jun-02 6,415 445 7
1Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest five.
2Data are provisional.

Note:

Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication will cover the third quarter (July to September) of 2002 and will be available from 29 November 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.