§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
What policy the National Asylum Support Service is following in relation to (a) the provision of toys for refugee children; and (b) the giving of change to asylum seekers when the purchase price of food is less than the value of a voucher.[HL1885]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)The new support system is intended to meet the essential living needs of destitute asylum seekers on a short-term basis until the determination of their asylum applications. Toys cannot be considered an essential living need and they have been excluded from being treated as such by the Asylum Support Regulations 2000. However, that does not prevent asylum seekers from using their vouchers and cash to purchase toys. Nor does it prevent accommodation providers or voluntary organisations from providing toys if they choose to do so.
Asylum seekers will be spending their vouchers in the knowledge that no change will be given. There is no reason why an asylum seeker should not be able to obtain the full value of his voucher allocation. The largest denomination voucher will be a £10 cash voucher, exchangeable for pounds sterling at a nominated post office. Each asylum seeker and each dependant will be issued one such £10 cash voucher per week. The other vouchers will be in denominations of £5, £1.50p and a further voucher to cover any odd 58WA pence in the designated level of support. Asylum seekers will be able to use a combination of their vouchers and cash to ensure that they do not lose out.