§ 23. Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that asylum seekers are able to work while awaiting determinations by the Home Office. [636]
§ Angela EagleUnder the terms of the employment concession, adult asylum seekers can apply for permission to work if their application has been outstanding for longer than six months without a decision being made on it. There are no immediate plans to alter the way the concession operates.
§ 24. Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of applications for asylum have been refused since July 2000; and what percentage of those refused have(a) been deported and (b) otherwise left the country. [637]
§ Angela Eagle80 per cent. of initial decisions made since July 2000 were to refuse asylum and exceptional leave to remain.
There were over 8,900 asylum removals in the 12 months ending March 2001. It is not possible to identify how many of those removals related to initial decisions since July 2000, nor how many former asylum seekers leave the country without notifying the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND).
§ 26. Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the outcome of the review of the voucher scheme for asylum seekers. [639]
§ Angela EagleWe are considering the evidence and will announce our conclusions in due course.