Asylum Seekers (Hansard, 30 November 2001)

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing asylum decision times. [16934]

§ Angela Eagle
The target for the current year is to decide 60 per cent. of new substantive asylum claims within two months. We are taking a range of measures, including strengthening asylum decision capacity and streamlining internal casework procedures, to support delivery of the target. It is planned that interim data on performance during the period April-September 2001 will be published during the first half of 2002.

§ Fiona Mactaggart
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consultations he has undertaken with local authorities about proposals for levels of funding for asylum seekers. [18644]

§ Angela Eagle
Officials from National Asylum Support Service (NASS) met with representatives of the Association of London Government (ALG) and Local Government Association (LGA) on 22 October and 9 November this year. Also present at these meetings were representatives from the Audit Commission and, at the first meeting only, the Rent Service.
Discussions covered arrangements for an interim grant payment to cover costs in the first half of this year, and an agreed letter has been sent to all local authorities. They also covered proposals to increase the information given by local authorities to the Home Office in support of claims. This is to improve communication from the Home Office to local authorities on case status, so that next year's grant can be based on agreed lists of named asylum seekers. Discussion of grant arrangements for 2001–02 continue and another meeting is planned for early in the new year.

§ Fiona Mactaggart
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have indicated that their costs of supporting asylum seekers exceed(a) current and (b) proposed grant levels. [18645]

§ Angela Eagle
In 2000–01, based on unaudited claims, some 60 local authorities had costs that exceeded the grant levels. Of these 38 had shortfalls of less than £50,000.
Grant limits for the current year have yet to be confirmed. We are discussing with local authority associations proposals which take into account the recommendations of the Audit Commission report "Halfway Home" and also allow proper scope to recognise the reasons for high costs in some authorities.