§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce fixed-time appointments for asylum applicants attending interviews at the asylum screening unit; what is the average waiting time for persons attending for interviews at the asylum screening unit; and what proportion of them have to wait more than(a) one hour, (b) two hours, (c) three hours and (d) four hours. [3270]
§ Mr. Kirkhope[holding answer 4 December 1995]: There are no plans to introduce fixed-time appointments for asylum applicants attending interviews at the asylum screening unit. Information about average waiting times is not available.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has collected on those countries which operate white lists of countries excluded for the purpose of asylum seekers and refugee status; if he will publish details of the lists operated by other EC countries; what discussions he has held with his EC counterparts about the effectiveness of such lists and their harmonisation throughout the EC; what parliamentary procedures he intends to use to allow debate and decision on deletion from and addition to such lists; and if he will make a statement. [3683]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 4 December 1995]: Comprehensive information is not available, but our understanding is that Denmark, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands are among the European Union countries which operate procedures based on designation of countries of origin in which there is, in general terms, no serious risk of persecution. Our regular contacts with counterparts from these countries support our view that a designation power would improve our asylum procedures. There are no proposals to harmonise designation lists in the European Union.
216WUnder clause 1 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill, designation orders would be laid before Parliament under the negative resolution procedure. The list of designated countries would be subject to amendment by the same procedure.