§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the number of persons who(a) having applied for political asylum are awaiting (i) first determination or (ii) determination of an appeal or judicial review and (b) are awaiting departure or deportation; and if he will list the number and distributions of all such categories in local authority areas of the United Kingdom. [14955]
§ Mr. KirkhopeAs at 31 December 1996, there were 55,635 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom awaiting an initial decision. As at the same date, 1,340 asylum appeals were awaiting validation and preparation by the asylum directorate and 20,455 asylum appeals were awaiting a hearing by adjudicators at the Immigration Appeals Authority. In addition, there were a further 545 asylum appeals outstanding at the immigration appeals tribunal. A regional breakdown of these data is not centrally recorded.
Information on the number of asylum-related judicial reviews awaiting a decision, or on the number of persons awaiting departure or deportation is not available.
154W