§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the cost to public funds of dealing with asylum seekers is cash limited. [HL1781]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe term cash limit is no longer used in relation to government expenditure. As announced in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report 1998 (Cm 3978), Departmental Expenditure Limits cover spending capable of being subject to firm multi-year plans. The comprehensive spending review brought together operational costs of dealing with asylum applications and costs of support to adults and families claiming asylum into the Home Office Departmental Expenditure Limit, though with the recognition that funds available might need to be reassessed as a result of exogenous shocks, such as large increases in numbers of applications relative to previous forecasts.
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can estimate the average weekly cost of housing asylum seekers. [HL1779]
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§ Lord Bassam of BrightonInformation on the weekly cost to local authorities of housing asylum seekers is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give a breakdown by local authority area of the number of asylum seekers presently being housed at public expense; and what they estimate the total cost to public funds of housing asylum seekers during the current financial year will be. [HL1780]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe information requested is not available. The available information is that, excluding Home Office administrative costs, the estimated total cost to public funds for support, including daily needs, of asylum seekers in the financial year 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 is just over £537 million.