§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many asylum seekers have been in receipt of income support of housing benefit for each
82WThe number of cases abandoned is not determined solely, or even primarily, by the judgment of lawyers. The Crown Prosecution Service has no choice but to discontinue cases when witnesses fail to appear, refuse to give evidence, or change their story; when defendants produce driving documents proving their innocence; when evidence must be excluded because of irregularities in its collection; and when gaps in the prosecution case cannot be plugged by the police. About half of cases discontinued are estimated to fall into the above categories.
Convictions have remained consistently high, at around 98 per cent. of all cases proceeding to a hearing, supporting the view that the Crown Prosecution Service has succeeded in identifying cases in which the balance of evidence weighs in favour of prosecution, and has effectively pursued them in the courts.
Table 1: Crown Prosecution Service receipts Year ending March Received in Magistrates' Courts 1988 1786,333 1989 1,574,116 1990 1,622,347 1991 1,625,057 1992 1,571,175 1993 1,530,586 1994 1,459,296 1995 1,443,743 1996 1,354,177 1997 21,006,070 1 October 1987–March 1988 only. 2 April 1996–December 1996 only. month since October 1995; and what was the cost of providing (a) income support, (b) housing benefit and (c) council tax benefit in each month. [15804]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the tables:
83W
Asylum seekers receiving income support in Great Britain between November 1995 and May 1996 Income support Number of recipients Estimated monthly expenditure (£ million) November 1995 49,000 12 February 1996 50,000 12 May 1996 50,000 13
Asylum seekers in receipt of income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit Number of recipients May 1995 Estimated monthly expenditure 1995–96 (£ million) Housing benefit 31,000 11 Council tax benefit 15,000 0.6 Notes:
1. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. Estimated expenditure is rounded to the nearest million pounds.
3. Estimated monthly expenditure for income support has been calculated using numbers and average weekly payments in the enquiry week.
4. Housing benefit/council tax benefit expenditure figures have been estimated using average amounts at May 1995, the latest information available.
5. Recipient figures refer the benefit units which may be a single person or a couple.
6. No information available for asylum seekers, not in receipt of income support and in receipt of housing/council tax benefits.
Sources:
1. "Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries" November 1995, February 1996 and May 1996.
2. Housing benefit management information system, annual 1 per cent. sample enquiry or housing benefit/council tax benefit recipients also in receipt of income support for Great Britain taken at the end of May 1995.