HC Deb 27 July 1993 vol 229 cc907-8W
Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what payments have been made for each of the past five years, and to which local authorities, in respect of Kurdish refugees, Bosnian refugees, Somali refugees, Vietnamese refugees, Chilean refugees and others; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry

The following payments were made by my Department in 1989–90 and 1990–91 under a scheme of special financial assistance to local authorities in respect of Turkish asylum seekers:

Local Authority 1989–90 1990–91
£ £
London Borough of Haringey 599,400
London Borough of Hackney 141,300
London Borough of Islington 49,474

The following sums were subsequently recovered from those local authorities, following receipt of audited claims showing expenditure incurred by each authority:

£
London Borough of Haringey 29,921
London Borough of Hackney 141,300
London Borough of Islington 5,680

During 1992–93, the following payments were made under a scheme of assistance in respect of displaced persons from the former Yugoslavia:

Local Authority 1992–93
£
Ayelsbury Vale District Council 23,332
Rochford District Council 3,060
Uttlesford District Council 44,408

Rochford district council subsequently withdrew its claim for assistance and repaid £3,060 to the Department. No other payments of grant in respect of refugees have been made by the Department. However, further amounts in respect of displaced persons from former Yugoslavia will be paid during the current financial year. Also, a new special grant in respect of unaccompanied refugee and asylum-seeking children from various parts of the world will be paid to local authorities this year.