§ Viscount Exmouthasked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentages of all those applicants granted asylum in the United Kingdom relates to requests for political asylum.
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe criteria for recognition as a refugee, and hence the granting of asylum, are set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees. The convention defines a refugee as a person who has "a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country".
A breakdown of asylum grants, according to the basis of the application, is not available as such information is not centrally recorded.