§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken is for asylum cases, from the initial lodging of an appeal with the Immigration Appellate Authority to the authority's final decision; and if he will make a statement. [157174]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 6 April 2001]: For the 12 months ending 31 March 2001, data from the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) indicate that the average time taken from receipt of an asylum appeal in the IAA, to the appeal being decided through both tiers of the authority, was approximately 21 weeks.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were removed in 2000–01. [159152]
§ Mrs. RocheProvisional data indicate that the total for the number of failed asylum seekers removed in the financial year 2000–01 is 8,925, rounded to the nearest five.