§ Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are working on clearing the backlog of asylum applications made before 31 December 1995; how many decisions on these applications have been made in each month since July 1998; how many of these decisions have been(a) indefinite leave, (b) exceptional leave, (c) refusals and (d) other; how many applications are outstanding from (i) before July 1993 and (ii) between July 1993 and December 1995; and when he expects this backlog to be cleared. [85044]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThere are a total of 51 Home Office staff of all grades working to clear the remaining unresolved asylum applications lodged before 1 January 1996. As at the end of April 1999, it is estimated that there remained 4,465 applications outstanding made before July 1993 and 16,730 made between July 1993 and December 1995.
Between 1 December 1998 and 31 April 1999 a total of 2,910 decisions on pre-1 January 1996 applications were made by the teams established to deal with the backlog. Of these, 2,130 were pre-July 1993 applications granted indefinite leave while 610 were grants of exceptional leave in July 1993 to December 1995 applications. 160 applications of the latter group were recognised as refugees and granted asylum. A total of 10 applications have been refused.
It is intended that the applications made before July 1993 be cleared by September 1999 and those lodged between July 1993 and December 1995 by April 2000.
255W
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 May 1999,Official Report, column 369, on asylum seekers, when he plans to write. [85944]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienA written reply was sent on 28 May 1999.