HC Deb 03 July 2002 vol 388 cc426-7W
Tony Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to increase support for asylum seekers to full income support rates; and if he will make a statement. [57997]

Beverley Hughes

The full national asylum support service support package is broadly equivalent to income support. Support for asylum seekers can include fully furnished accommodation. The costs of this together with associated utility bills and council tax are met centrally. Support levels for children here as part of an asylum seeking family are identical to the personal allowances for children in families on income support.

Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is entitled to provide asylum support to persons who have won their asylum appeals but where the period since their asylum appeal was disposed of exceeds 28 days; and if he will make a statement. [60539]

Beverley Hughes

In accordance with section 94(3) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and Regulation 2 of the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 (as amended), the national asylum support service support should end 28 days after an appeal is disposed of if it is successful and 21 days if it is not.