§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it his policy to ask each local authority in England and Wales to provide him with a regular report on the number of asylum seekers registered with that local authority; and if he will make a statement; [118238]
(2) what is his estimate of the cost to his Department of asking each local authority in England and Wales how many asylum seekers are registered with that authority. [118237]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Home Office launched an exercise last year to ascertain from local authorities exactly how many asylum seekers they were supporting, together with the status of those asylum seekers, and where they are being accommodated. Further checks are required on much of the information so far submitted. We estimate that it will cost around £44,000 to complete the exercise in full. The information requested will be available once it is completed.
§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to implement in full the new support arrangements for asylum seekers under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; what discussions he has had with local authorities and regional consortiums regarding the current partial implementation; what representations he has received from them; and if he will make a statement. [118293]
§ Mrs. RocheIt is our intention to implement further stages of the new support arrangements as soon as possible, hopefully bringing all the remaining new asylum applicants onto it over the course of the next six months.
I and my officials have received many representations from local authorities concerning the dispersal of asylum seekers, in response to proposals which we published last year as part of our consultation process.
634WThe National Asylum Support Service has also been in extensive consultation with the Local Government Association and regional local authority consortiums about the operation of both the interim dispersal scheme and the main dispersal scheme.