Asylum Seekers (Hansard, 31 October 2000)

§ Mr. Malcolm Bruce
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision he has made to provide asylum seekers with(a) legal representation, (b) housing, (c) health services, (d) welfare advice and (e) language provision. [133824]

§ Mrs. Roche
The Home Office makes grants under section 23 of the Immigration Act 1971 to organisations responsible for providing free legal representation in connection with appeals to those subject to immigration control. For this financial year 2000–01 £56,000 has been paid to the Northern Ireland Law Centre. As with previous years grants will also be awarded to the Immigration Advisory Service and the Refugee Legal Centre. The amounts to be paid to each organisation have yet to be 423W finalised. In addition the Legal Services Commission awards funding under contract to franchised solicitors to provide free representation and advice
An asylum seeker can, as part of an application for support to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), apply for accommodation. Where accommodation is provided this will normally be in one of the dispersal areas. No asylum seekers will be given accommodation unless he or she has specifically requested it.
All asylum seekers and their dependants are entitled to receive medical treatment under the NHS.
For this financial year 2000–01 the Home Office has provided funding of almost £5.5 million to the voluntary sector to provide for the establishment and maintenance of one-stop services. This service provides support to asylum seekers through a comprehensive reception service including assisting asylum seekers who need to access statutory services and the services which providers, under contract to NASS, are required to provide.
School age children of asylum seekers are entitled to attend school.

§ Mr. Coleman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been dispersed in each month of this year from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to other locations in the United Kingdom by his Department. [134565]

§ Mrs. Roche
The information requested is not available. Statistics are not currently available on the location of asylum seekers before they applied for support from the National Asylum Support Service.

§ Mr. Coleman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers living in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham are in receipt of vouchers from his Department. [134564]

§ Mrs. Roche
The information is not available in the form requested. As at the end of September 3,300¹ asylum seekers, including dependants, had been allocated vouchers only by the National Asylum Support Service and were living in the London region. Currently information on asylum seekers who have been allocated vouchers only from the National Asylum Support Service is available only by region and not London Borough. ¹Figures rounded to the nearest 100

§ Mr. Gerrard
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers and dependants are currently receiving support from the National Asylum Support Service. [134517]

§ Mrs. Roche
The information requested is not currently available.

§ Mr. Gerrard
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in London are currently receiving support from the National Asylum Support Service; and of those how many are receiving support in the form of vouchers only. [134516]

§ Mrs. Roche
As at the end of September 2000, 3,500¹ asylum seekers, including dependants, had been allocated support by the National Asylum Support Service and were 424W living in the London region. Of these, 3,300 were allocated vouchers only and 200¹ were allocated accommodation and voucher support due to special or exceptional circumstances which meant they had to stay in London. ¹Figures rounded to the nearest 100.

§ Mr. Gerrard
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently receiving support from the National Asylum Support Service; and of those how many are receiving support in the form of vouchers only. [134515]

§ Mrs. Roche
As at the end of September, 14,200¹ asylum seekers, including dependants, had been allocated support by the National Asylum Support Service. Of these, 4,700¹ had been allocated voucher support only. ¹Figures rounded to the nearest 100.