§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many children are currently held in detention in connection with asylum applications; what are their nationalities; how many have been held for more than two months; and if he will list the detention establishments where they are held; [36587]
(2) how many children who made applications for asylum at the port of entry in (a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997 were subsequently detained; [36589]
(3) how many children made applications for asylum at the port of entry in (a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997. [36588]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienIt is our policy not to detain persons under the age of 18 save only in exceptional circumstances, such as when an unaccompanied minor arrives at a port of entry late at night and the Immigration Service is unable to make immediate contact with the local social services, or when the child's parent is detained, usually immediately prior to removal. The normal procedure is to grant temporary admission/release wherever possible, either into the care of a close relative or friend, or into the care of social services.
539WThe available information relating to persons detained under sole Immigration Act powers in immigration detention centres is that, as at 28 February 1998, there were two persons known to be aged under 18 years who were present in Immigration Service detention accommodation as the dependants of a detained asylum seeker. In addition, one unaccompanied minor asylum seeker, whose age was in dispute on 28 February 1998 but who was later found to have been 17 years of age, was held in detention on that date. The nationalities of the persons involved were Kenyan and Syrian; they were held at Tinsley House and Harmondsworth detention centres; and none had been in continuous detention for more than two months.
Cases do inevitably arise where the exact age of an individual is in dispute. All age-disputed unaccompanied minor cases are referred, without prejudice, to the Refugee Council's Panel of Advisers for Unaccompanied Children. I regret that no central record is held of the numbers of unresolved age-disputed cases.
The numbers of persons recorded as being aged under 18 years when they applied for asylum at a United Kingdom port of entry, were: 580 in 1995; 650 in 1996; and 740 in 1997. These data relate to principal asylum applicants only and therefore exclude those whose only claim to asylum was as the dependant of another person.
I regret that reliable information on the numbers of persons recorded as being aged under 18 years when they applied for asylum at a United Kingdom port of entry and who were subsequently detained is available only at disproportionate cost through the examination of individual case records.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of persons who have claimed asylum in the United Kingdom in each of the last six months. [36996]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe information requested is given in the table.
Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, September 1997 to February 1998 Number of principal applicants 1997 September 2,850 October 2,990 November 2,345 December 3,120 1998 January 2,860 February 2,650 1 Figures are provisional and rounded to the nearest five.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons who are claiming asylum have been convicted of criminal offences, other than motoring, in the last 12 months. [36995]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienRegrettably, the information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.
The available information, relating to persons who had applied for asylum at some stage is that, in 1997, 11 such persons were recommended for deportation by a court, 540W and a further four were issued with notices of intention to deport on grounds conducive to the public good, following conviction for a criminal offence. The data are provisional and may include persons who have been convicted of motoring offences.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to public funds in the last week for which figures are available in respect of those currently claiming asylum in the United Kingdom. [36994]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 13 November 1997,Official Report, column 652, which gave the available information for 1996. More recent information from the Department of Social Security is not yet available. The Department of Health has estimated that, in 1997/98, grants to local authorities are likely to be in the region of £40 million for single adult asylum seekers and £28.5 million for families with children.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum claims have been made in the United Kingdom in the last 10 years; how many have been determined; and how many are outstanding. [36993]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienDuring the period 1 January 1998 to 28 February 1998, approximately 278,000 asylum applications, excluding dependants, were lodged in the United Kingdom. In the same period in the order of 207,000 initial decisions were made.
As at 28 February 1998, there were estimated to be 50,960 asylum applications, excluding dependants, awaiting an initial decision.
§ Dr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees in Campsfield House have been transferred to prison establishments in each month since January 1997. [37106]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe numbers of detainees transferred from Campsfield House to Prison Service establishments in each month since January 1997 are given in the table. These figures include transfers to the dedicated Immigration Service detainee accommodation at Her Majesty's Holding Centre at Haslar, and the detention wings at Her Majesty's Prison Rochester. The figures for August 1997 include those transferred as a result of the disturbance.
541W
Number 1997 January 2 February 12 March 1 April 7 May 9 June 1 July 4 August 69 September 2 October 1 November 4 December 0 Total 112
Number 1998 January 2 February 2 March (to date) 5