HC Deb 22 February 1999 vol 326 cc104-5W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the number of (1) new instructions and (2) disposals in(a) asylum and (b) immigration appeals undertaken by (i) the Immigration Advisory Service and (ii) the Refugee Legal Centre for 1997–98 and the number of appeals in both categories disposed of by the Immigration Appellate Authority in the same period together with the unit cost in both categories. [70755]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The information requested is shown in the table.

It should be noted that the figures for the Refugee Legal Centre and the Immigration Advisory Service are based on outcomes (those cases in which the appeal may or may not have finally been disposed). The cases dealt with by the Refugee Legal Centre based on outputs is 8,154. The Immigration Advisory Service do not have any comparable statistical information on outputs.

Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time(a) European Union nationals and (b) non-European Union nationals who have not applied for asylum have spent on temporary admission in each year from 1993 to the latest date for which figures are available. [70747]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Information is available only for non-European Union nationals granted temporary admission at the 12 largest ports in 1998 whose case has been resolved. Such persons, excluding those who applied for asylum, spent an average of 11 days on temporary admission.

Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time between lodging an out-of-country appeal against refusal of entry and removal from the UK and the date of hearing of the appeal in(a) asylum and (b) non-asylum cases, for those (i) removed on the latest convenient date and (ii) who had appeal hearings on the latest convenient date. [70746]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The average length of time between the lodging of an out-of-country non-asylum appeal and the date of the appeal hearing date is 366 days. This information relates to data extracted on 15 February 1999, and covers the 12 largest ports (Heathrow (4 terminals), Gatwick (2 terminals), Manchester (2 terminals), Dover East, Harwich, Stansted and Waterloo.)

There are very few out-of-country asylum appeals recorded and, therefore, information on average times for these cases may not be representative.