§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for an improved level of telephone access for asylum seekers after the Immigration Service takes over responsibility for paying their benefit and responding to inquiries; and if he will make a statement. [93985]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Home Office will be responsible for providing support to asylum seekers under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Bill (when enacted and implemented).
618W
Quantities of controlled drugs seized in the UK by police and Customs, and by the Merseyside Police Force, 1995–97 1995 UK police Customs Total Merseyside police Class A Cocaine 63.5 589.4 652.9 15.0 Crack 9.4 9.8 19.2 0.1 Heroin 362.7 1,031.8 1,394.5 66.6 LSD 352.0 29.8 381.8 2.0 Ecstasy-type 475.8 79.2 555.0 29.8 Methadone 50.7 0.0 50.7 1.6 Other 11.7 10.2 21.9 0.0 Class B Cannabis (herbal) 1,134.0 12,737.5 13,871.5 53.8 Cannabis plants 96,208 96 96,304 1,918 Cannabis resin 4,821.7 39,776.2 44,597.9 344.0 Asylum seekers and their dependants who apply to the Asylum Support Directorate within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will, under the new arrangements, contact staff within the new Directorate for information and inquiries about support.
We propose to have a single inquiry number for the new Asylum Support Directorate. The service provided will incorporate assisted call routing facilities to minimise the likelihood of calls being re-routed.
The number will be publicised and known to agencies with whom potential applicants may have contact prior to making a support application.
Callers requiring application forms will be asked to leave mailing details. Callers who need to speak directly with the caseworker responsible for their support will be able to do so.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the proposed offices the Immigration Service will operate to deal with asylum seekers benefit and inquiries; what hours they will be open; what estimate he has made of(a) the average and (b) the farthest distance an asylum seeker is likely to have to travel to the nearest office; and if he will make a statement. [93983]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Asylum Support Directorate will be located in Quest House and possibly other accommodation in Croydon. Quest House will have a public caller unit to enable asylum seekers, who would otherwise be destitute, to seek support. But the Asylum Support Directorate proposes to grant fund the voluntary sector to arrange for them to provide reception centres at some major ports and at one-stop shops around the country. The locations and opening times of these centres have yet to be determined.