Asylum Seekers (Hansard, 19 October 2001)

§ Mr. Coleman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the asylum seekers the National Asylum Support System has housed since 3 April 2000 under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, have been offered(a) accommodation in the dispersal areas and (b) accommodation in London and the south east on the grounds that there are exceptional circumstances for their households not to be dispersed; how many disbenefited asylum seekers (i) the National Asylum Support System has agreed can be provided with accommodation in London and the south east on the 1394W grounds that their children have been educated in the same school for 12 months or more and (ii) have been offered accommodation in the dispersal areas. [8027]

§ Angela Eagle
As at the end of July 2001 the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) was supporting 27,740¹ asylum seekers in its accommodation outside of the London and south central regions and 1,070¹ in its accommodation in the London and South Central regions. It is the policy of NASS to offer accommodation in London only when there are exceptional reasons, such as medical reasons, to do so. NASS disperses asylum seekers to locations in the United Kingdom on a "no-choice" basis to relieve the burden on London and the south east; Brighton and Hove, Hastings and St. Leonards, Portsmouth and Southampton are the only four cluster areas used within the south central and east region.
Of those asylum seekers being supported in NASS accommodation in the London and south central regions, 240¹ were disbenefited cases. Of those being supported in NASS accommodation outside the London and south central regions, 20¹ were disbenefited cases. There is no available figure for the number of disbenefited cases offered accommodation in the London and south central regions specifically because their children had been educated in the same school for 12 months or more. Also, some of those disbenefited cases who were being supported in NASS accommodation outside the London and south central regions may have already been there when they became disbenefited rather than having been dispersed subsequently. ¹Figures include dependants and are rounded to the nearest 10.

§ Mr. Coleman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disbenefited asylum seeker households are awaiting a decision on their application to the National Asylum Support System. [8033]

§ Angela Eagle
The information requested is not available.

§ Mrs. Ellman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received concerning management and support services for asylum seekers at the Landmark and Inn on the Park in Everton, Liverpool. [7415]

§ Angela Eagle
Home Office Ministers have received a number of letters from my hon. Friend in recent months on issues relating to the Landmark and Inn on the Park. Representations have also been received from Liverpool City Council and the police.
Ministers have hell meetings on the subject with local MPs and full consideration has been given to the issues raised.

§ Mr. Evans
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers awaiting adjudication there are in Wales. [7745]

§ Angela Eagle
The available information comes from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) who began supporting and dispersing asylum seekers who applied for asylum on or after 3 April 2000. Statistics from NASS, for the end of July 2001, show that for asylum seekers located in Wales 370¹ asylum seekers (including dependants) were 1395W being supported in NASS accommodation and 110¹ asylum seekers (including dependants) were being supported with vouchers only.
Information on how many of these cases were awaiting adjudication is unavailable and could be obtained only by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost.
Information is not currently available centrally on the location of asylum seekers that either do not apply for NASS support or who were receiving Department of Social Security (DSS) or local authority support before NASS began. ¹Figures rounded to the nearest 10.

§ Mr. Mark Field
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department assessed the backlog of asylum applications as being in excess of 40,000. [7856]

§ Angela Eagle
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate completed a physical count of the asylum applications backlog on 4 September. Checks were then carried out to ensure that the count was correct but the announcement scheduled for 12 September was postponed following the terrorist attack in the United States.

§ Ms Oona King
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures lie is taking to ensure that staff at the National Asylum Support Service understand the particular needs of asylum seekers with HIV and other long-term illnesses. [8076]

§ Angela Eagle
Asylum seekers have the same rights to national health service (NHS) treatment as any other person who is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom.
Voluntary sector reception assistants who assist asylum seekers with the completion of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) application for support are trained to ask asylum seekers for details of any medical treatment or counselling they or their dependants may be receiving that would affect the type and/or location of accommodation allocated to them.
NASS caseworkers are aware that all relevant factors must be taken into account when deciding whether or where to disperse. This will include any information relating to medical or health needs. Caseworkers are always alert to any exceptional circumstances in individual cases, which might make it appropriate to depart from the general guidelines when accommodation is being allocated.

§ Ms Oona King
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to ensure that the National Asylum Support Service disperses asylum seekers with HIV to areas where appropriate support is available to them. [8077]

§ Angela Eagle
Asylum seekers have the same rights to national health service (NHS) treatment as any other person who is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom.
Applicants may choose to notify National Asylum Support Service (NASS) that either they or their children are HIV positive and require specialist treatment. It is entirely a matter for the individual to decide whether or not to provide information about their health needs. Where health needs are stated on the NASS application form, and the individual gives his/her consent to that 1396W information being shared with the NHS, NASS will notify the receiving local health authority accordingly. Services for people with HIV are available on an open access basis for HIV testing and counselling, with onward referral to more specialised treatment as appropriate for those testing positive.
The Department of Health has advised that HIV support services are available in various dispersal areas and this is taken into account when accommodation is being allocated.