HC Deb 12 June 2000 vol 351 cc506-8W
Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements his Department has made for identifying suitable accommodation for asylum seekers under the Government's dispersal policy. [125116]

Mrs. Roche

Accommodation providers are responsible for identifying suitable accommodation. They are bound by contract to provide accommodation to certain specifications. These specifications were drawn up with other organisations, including the Refugee Council. The National Asylum Support Service check all proposed addresses for suitability of location for asylum seekers and access to Post Offices and the retail network.

Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the result of consultations with(a) the North West Consortium and (b) Liverpool City Council prior to the decision to award contracts to place asylum seekers in The Landmark and The Inn on the Park in Everton, Liverpool; and when these consultations took place. [125114]

Mrs. Roche

Officials in the National Asylum Support Service wrote to the North West Consortium, including Liverpool City Council, on 9 February seeking comments on proposed providers. No comments were received.

Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to monitor contracts entered into in respect of the Government's dispersal policy for asylum seekers. [125115]

Mrs. Roche

The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has established dedicated contract managers to oversee all accommodation contracts. In addition, a dedicated contract management team oversees the contract with Sodexho. NASS also has a network of regional managers monitoring support provision for asylum seekers.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bed spaces are contracted for by the Home Office in its asylum seeker allocation and dispersal schemes in each district of the counties of(a) Tyne and Wear, (b) Northumberland, (c) Durham and (d) Cleveland; through which bodies these bedspaces have been contracted; and if he will estimate the (i) average annual unit cost per bedspace and (ii) total annual cost of these bedspaces. [125141]

Mrs. Roche

The number of bed spaces contracted are as follows: Tyne and Wear 485; Northumberland 0; Durham 0; and, Cleveland 50. The accommodation contracts in these areas are with private sector providers Roselodge, Angel and Adelphi. To avoid prejudicing negotiations currently taking place with potential further accommodation providers, I am unable to provide information on unit costs as this is commercially sensitive.

Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts have been entered into with(a) local authorities, (b) the private sector and (c) the voluntary sector in relation to the Government's scheme for the dispersal of asylum seekers. [125118]

Mrs. Roche

Contracts have been entered into with one local authority, one housing association, one YMCA and seven with the private sector.

Mr. Gale

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been received by public funds in the last five years in fines levied upon foreign lorry drivers apprehended for importing asylum seekers into the United Kingdom. [125271]

Mrs. Roche

Since the coming into force of the civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, a total of £12,000 in penalties has been paid by foreign lorry drivers or their employers. In addition, a further £105,829 has been paid by foreign lorry drivers or their employers to secure the release of vehicles which had been detained pending payment of the penalty. These provisions of the Act came into force only on 3 April this year, so no sum actually fell to be paid until 4 June 2000.

Statistical information relating to the sums of money imposed in fines on those convicted in the courts for the offence of facilitation of illegal entry does not record separately the amounts paid by foreign lorry drivers

Mr. Gale

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to police budgets, for the latest year for which figures are available, of the provision of interpreters to assist asylum seekers and economic migrants; how much of this money has been refunded by central Government to local police authorities; and if he will make a statement. [125276]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The information requested is not centrally collected. The Home Office does not refund the cost of interpreters to police authorities. The cost of using interpreters is a matter for Chief Officers of police and as part of their operational activities the cost would be met from within force budgets.

Mr. Gale

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision he has made for the financial year 2000–01 to meet the costs incurred by Kent Police through the provision of interpreters to assist asylum seekers and economic migrants. [125272]

Mr. Charles Clarke

No specific provision has been made in the allocation of Government funding to Kent Police Authority for the cost of using interpreters. The arrangements for the employment of interpreters are a matter for the Chief Constable.

The funding allocation for the Kent Police Authority in 2000–01 has recognised the costs to the local police of asylum seekers and other policing demands that arise from Dover being the main route between the United Kingdom and Europe. Government supported funding for Kent Police Authority increased by 4.4 per cent. or £8 million, and around 20 per cent. of this extra funding was in consequence of the growing pressures from illegal immigration and other "Gateway to Europe" policing demands on the Kent Constabulary.