§ Ms BuckTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact upon voluntary organisations in receipt of European Social Fund and other funding sources of the withdrawal of the work concession for asylum-seekers for whom no decision had been made in six months and the consequent loss of grant to voluntary organisations offering services to those groups. [R]. [89779]
§ Beverley HughesOperation of the European Social Fund is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who has said that there will be no impact on voluntary organisations that have ensured that their European Social Fund projects support only those people eligible to benefit from the fund.
Fast asylum decision making will mean that asylum seekers who receive positive decisions will be able to access the full range of projects very quickly and so the impact on projects aimed at asylum seekers who would previously have been granted permission to work will be minimal.
§ Ms BuckTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the level of awareness of asylum-seekers and those 653W organisations working with them of the learning and volunteering opportunities which are no longer open to them. [R][89781]
§ Beverley HughesWe are keen to see asylum seekers make a positive use of their time while waiting for their claim for asylum to be assessed. A range of opportunities are available to all asylum seekers regardless of the state of their claim and asylum seekers are also able to contribute to their communities through voluntary work.
Faster decision making will ensure that asylum seekers receiving positive decisions will be able to access a full range of opportunities at a far earlier stage than previously was the case.
§ Ms BuckTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the potential for(a) underspending on this year's European Social Fund allocation to organisations working with asylum-seekers, (b) capacity to meet agreed ESF targets, and (c) implications for future ESF allocations, following the withdrawal of the work concession for asylum-seekers who do not have a decision after six months. [R][89785]
§ Beverley HughesThe operation of the European Social Fund (ESF) is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who has said that, where necessary, allocation to organisations working with asylum seekers will be absorbed by other beneficiaries, and there is not expected to be any change to capacity to meet ESF targets, and there are not expected to be implications for future ESF allocations.