§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of supported asylum seekers in each category of support system in each district in the county of Tyne and Wear, distinguishing between those placed by the National Asylum Support Service partnership and those placed by NASS outside the partnership. [146384]
§ Mrs. RocheAs at the end of December 2000, the number of bedspaces in National Asylum Support Service accommodation in the county of Tyne and Wear allocated to asylum seekers and their dependants was as follows:
Area Allocated bedspaces Gateshead 1440 Newcastle Upon Tyne 11,120 North Tyneside 1200 South Tyneside 160 Sunderland 1760 1 Figures rounded to the nearest ten Additionally at the end of December there were 201 asylum seekers (including dependants) who were allocated voucher-only support and were located in the north-east region which includes Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Cleveland. Information on the number of these who were staying in the county of Tyne and Wear is not available.
Information on the number of asylum seekers accommodated by the Regional Consortium and the number accommodated by private sector companies is not available. Information on the number of asylum seekers dispersed to the county of Tyne and Wear by local authorities under the voluntary dispersal scheme is not held centrally.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy to allow NASS dispersal partnership partners to issue vouchers to asylum seekers directly. [146385]
§ Mrs. RocheIt is not currently National Asylum Support Service (NASS) policy to allow our partners in dispersal areas to issue vouchers directly to NASS-supported asylum seekers. At present, vouchers are issued by NASS and by Post Office Counters Ltd. NASS issues initial emergency vouchers directly to asylum seekers, until arrangements can be made for them to receive regular vouchers via the voucher supplier, Sodexho Pass UK. Post Office Counters Ltd., under contract to Sodexho Pass UK, provides a network of post offices where asylum seekers can collect their regular vouchers.
In the interest of expanding the voucher distribution network and improving the service to asylum seekers, NASS officials are currently exploring with interested local authorities, including those in Tyne and Wear, the prospect of piloting local authority distribution of regular vouchers. NASS has also been approached by private 547W sector providers wishing to discuss the scope for local distribution of vouchers in emergencies. We will be giving this proposal careful consideration.
In addition, Glasgow city council is exceptionally issuing Sodexho Pass vouchers to asylum seekers as part of a special exercise instigated by NASS. These vouchers are the property of Glasgow city council. They are being issued to asylum seekers who have yet to be accepted for NASS support as an alternative to the full board arrangements normally provided for asylum seekers in emergency accommodation.
There are also a number of local authority schemes under the interim arrangements that make use of Sodexho Pass vouchers.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has made available to the National Asylum Support Service to date. [146114]
§ Mrs. RocheThe National Asylum Support Service became operational on 3 April 2000 as part of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office. For its first year of operation, to 31 March 2001, it has been allocated the following moneys: a budget of £20 million for its staffing and related administration costs and £22 million for grants to voluntary organisations working with asylum seekers.
It also has responsibility for administration of the Asylum Support budget of £664 million. This funds payments to the Department of Social Security and local authorities for the support of asylum seekers (including unaccompanied asylum seeking children) and support provided by the National Asylum Support Service.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost of the issuing of asylum vouchers was in the last 12 months. [145426]
§ Mrs. RocheVouchers were introduced on 3 April 2000 when the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) became responsible for providing support to destitute asylum seekers.
The total value of vouchers issued in the first nine months of this financial year (2000–01) was £15.1 million.
Total staffing and related administrative costs of the National Asylum Support Service for the same period, including the costs of processing application forms, allocating accommodation and administering the voucher scheme was £9.2 million. This includes payments made under the voucher contract. However, vouchers are printed and distributed by third-party providers under contract to the Home Office and the costs of this service are commercially confidential. The figure excludes the face value of the vouchers and the costs of providing accommodation and travel.