§ Mr. BurgonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances immigration officers will be requesting passenger information from carriers under paragraph 27B of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971, as inserted by section 18 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; and if he will make a statement. [118485]
§ Mrs. RocheThe types of information which may be requested are set out in the Schedule to the Immigration (Passenger Information) Order 2000. The information specified in Part I of the Schedule to the Order is contained in the machine-readable zone of passports and visas. Provision of this information is essential if we are
591Wto be able to grant or refuse entry to passengers in advance of their arrival in the United Kingdom. We have set out what we propose by way of such flexibilities in the draft Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) Order laid before Parliament on 30 March 2000. We would expect to come to a mutual agreement with carriers as to the routes for which we might start to require Part I information and as to when the requirement would start. Beyond this, we would seek Part I information only on specific occasions for intelligence purposes. We would endeavour to keep such requests to a minimum. The information specified in Part II of the Schedule will be requested only where the carrier is in possession of it. However, we think it might take some time for carriers to put systems in place to allow them to provide us with any significant volume of information, so we will implement the new power gradually over the coming months. We will continue in this spirit of co-operation, but ultimately we reserve the right to insist upon the provision of passenger information under the new powers wherever we have good reason in the context of the immigration control.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in each of the last two years for which figures are available, what was the total amount of funding for asylum seekers' support(a) in total, (b) per head of population, (c) per income tax payer, (d) per household and (e) as a percentage of total Government expenditure; what are the estimated figures for 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [117982]
§ Mrs. RocheIn 1998–99, support for asylum seekers was the responsibility of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Security. The Department of Health states that the total payments for supporting asylum seekers were £190 million in 1998–99. The Department of Social Security estimate that, subject to audit, the total benefits paid to asylum seekers will be £285 million.
Since 1 April 1999, the Home Office has been responsible for a single budget for reimbursing local authorities for the costs of supporting adult asylum seekers and families. Reimbursement of local authority costs relating to unaccompanied children remained the responsibility of the Department of Health. Total payments to local authorities and reimbursement for the Department of Social Security costs for 1999–2000 are estimated to be £597 million subject to audit.
The information available is that the estimated population is 58.8 million, the estimated number of tax payers is 27.9 million and the estimated number of households is 24.2 million. The total managed public expenditure in 1998–99 is £331 billion, and in 1999–2000 it is £345.2 billion. On that basis, the breakdown of costs for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 requested is given in the table.
592W
Asylum support costs 1998–99 1999–2000 Total £475 million £597 million Per head of population £8.08 £10.14 Per income taxpayer £17.02 £21.38 Per household £19.63 £24.64 As a percentage of total managed public expenditure 0.14 0.17 The Comprehensive Spending Review in 1998 set a provisional Home Office allocation for 2000–01 of £300 million for the cost of asylum support for adults and families and £3 million for the Department of Health. The total managed public expenditure in 2000–01 is £370.9 billion.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the means by which those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, who are currently outside the United Kingdom, can lawfully enter the United Kingdom to claim asylum without causing any others to commit any offence in assisting with their arrival in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [117995]
§ Mrs. RocheA person who claims asylum on arrival in the United Kingdom and is subsequently granted leave to enter will, by definition, have entered the United Kingdom lawfully. A person who obtains leave to enter without disclosing an intention to claim asylum may, depending on the circumstances, be guilty of an offence of seeking leave to enter by deception. In either case, the actions of the asylum seeker do not of themselves cause any other person to commit an offence, but depending on the circumstances an offence may arise if the asylum seeker's entry was facilitated by another person.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals were lodged by him against the granting of judicial review of asylum decisions in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many appeals were upheld; what was the total cost to public funds in each year of such appeals; on how many occasions Queen's Counsel were employed by(a) him and (b) the respondent; and if he will make a statement. [115970]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 23 March 2000]: The information requested is available only for the past three years and is shown in the table:
1997 1998 1999 Number of cases 2 0 3 Appeal upheld 1 — 1.2— Appeal dismissed 1 — 1 Queen 's Counsel employed by both parties Yes — Yes Costs £66,884 — £63,104 1One appeal was withdrawn 2One appeal not yet heard
§ Dr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the cost of(a) vouchers, (b) accommodation for asylum seekers and (c) other administrative costs relating to them in each of the last three years. [117051]
§ Mrs. RocheNone.
The information available is that in 1997–98 and 1998–99 grant payments for the support of asylum seekers were the responsibility of the Department of Health. In 1997–98, the grant payment by the Department of Health was £139,202 million. Costs such as administrative costs are amalgamated into the actual payments made to Local Authorities.
593WThe Department of Health is currently reconciling, in the light of the audit certificate now being provided, the amount claimed by authorities and the payments made to authorities in 1998–99. It is, therefore, not possible at the moment to give the information for 1998–99.
Since 1 April 1999, the Home Office has been responsible for reimbursing local authorities for the costs of supporting asylum seekers. Costs for the period 1 April–5 December 1999 are on the basis of a Special Grant. Local authorities may claim the costs incurred, within cost limits, in supporting asylum seekers. Local Authorities claimed a total of £183,177,970 for the period l April-5 December 1999. These claims will be subject to audit by District Auditors and may be subject to variation in the light of the findings of auditors. Full information for the period 6 December 1999–31 March 2000 is not yet available.
How these resources are allocated is a matter for each individual Local Authority.
§ Dr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the cost of police arrests and deportations of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants in each of the last three years. [117049]
§ Mrs. RocheThe costs of police arrests of asylum seekers and the costs of deportations of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are not available.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were received in 1999; and what proportion of those applicants came from Sri Lanka. [117643]
§ Mrs. RocheThe total number of asylum applications to the United Kingdom in 1999 was 71,160. 5,130 (7 per cent.) were from nationals of Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanism is used for reimbursing local authorities for costs incurred in respect of the dispersal of asylum seekers. [117297]
§ Mrs. RocheSince 1 April 1999, the Home Office has been responsible for reimbursing local authorities for the costs of supporting asylum seekers. Payment is by way of grant. Under the interim regulations, local authorities may claim the costs incurred in supporting asylum seekers. These claims will be paid within cost limits and are subject to audit by District Auditors. For those asylum seekers who will remain the responsibility of local authorities, these arrangements will continue.
For those asylum seekers now being dealt with under the new arrangements phased in from 3 April 2000, local authorities that sign contracts with the National Asylum Support Service will submit an invoice for payment.