§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been released from Oakington Centre pending their appeals; and what proportion are at addresses known to the authorities. [68632]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: From 20 March 2000 to 31 December 2001, 10,075 principal applicants received at the Oakington Reception Centre have lodged appeals. Of these, all would have been released either to an agreed address and required as a condition of their temporary admission to notify the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of any change of address, or to a secure detention centre.
§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the asylum processing procedure. [66893]
§ Beverley HughesMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary pub White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven" on 7 February 2002, followed on 12 April 2002 by the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is currently before Parliament. These both outline the steps that we are taking to improve the asylum processing procedure.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies he has made of the use of barges to house asylum seekers in the Netherlands; and if he will make a statement. [68621]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: No such studies have been made. The Home Office has, however, commissioned research to examine the reception policies and practice of four European countries (Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany).
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase and improve the training of initial decision makers in asylum cases. [68641]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: There are no current plans to increase and improve the training of initial decision-makers in asylum cases.
Current training plan supports business delivery of asylum decision making targets.
Training is continually evaluated, post course and after several months in post to make sure that it is meeting needs.
Changes are made in light of feedback from asylum staff or in response to legislative/procedural changes.
1077W
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in relation to initial decision makers in asylum cases, what educational or legal qualifications are required; what period of training is required; and what the relevant salary scales are. [68639]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: The majority of initial decision makers in asylum cases are appointed at executive officer level within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND).
No formal educational or legal qualifications are required for entry to this grade. Selection to the grade is competency based.
Those appointed to the posts receive a three day induction programme on the organisation of IND and the Integrated Casework Directorate, followed by a two week programme on asylum knowledge and processes. Thereafter, caseworkers receive two weeks mentoring in a dedicated unit and a three day training programme in interviewing skills.
The minimum starting salary for an executive officer in Croydon is £16,663 per annum.
Progression to higher salaries is based on an annual review of performance in the grade.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many initial decision makers in asylum cases were in post in January of each year since 1997. [68640]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: The latest available information is shown in the table.
Number of initial decision makers in post in January of each year since 1997 Number in post in January 1997 Records not available 1998 Records not available 19991 Records not available 2000 174 2001 761 2002 697 1The Integrated Casework Directorate started recording staffing data in December 1999. Staffing records identifying initial decision makers in asylum cases before then are not available. All data relates to asylum initial decision makers in the Immigration Nationality Directorate (IND).
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) current asylum seekers and (b) asylum seekers who have been refused asylum but have lodged appeals are held in custody in detention centres or prisons. [68638]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: The latest available information on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers relates to 30 March 2002. As at that date, 1,140 persons (to the nearest five) were being detained at immigration service removal centres, immigration short-term holding facilities and prison establishments who are recorded as having claimed asylum at some stage.
1078WI regret that information on the number of these persons who are awaiting an initial decision on their asylum claim or who have lodged an appeal is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
Information on Immigration Act detainees as at 29 June 2002 will be published on 30 August 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigrationl.html.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to identify on French territory asylum seekers who might have a valid claim to asylum in the UK. [68643]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: Intensive discussions are continuing between the United Kingdom (UK) and French governments on illegal immigration through France to the UK. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy met on 25 June 2002. The two Ministers plan to meet again on 12 July 2002. There are no present plans for the UK authorities to process asylum applications in France.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will commission studies to ascertain the comparative costs of housing asylum seekers in(a) Germany, (h) the Netherlands and (c) the United Kingdom. [68622]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: The Home Office is not planning to commission research on the comparative costs of housing asylum seekers in (a) Germany, (b) the Netherlands and (c) the United Kingdom. The Home Office has however, commissioned research to examine the reception policies and practice of four European countries (Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany). This includes an analysis of the impact of accommodation centres on (1) application rates, (2) the speed of the determination process, (3) the facilitation of return and removals, and (4) integration.
Comparative costs of accommodation centres and dispersal support and accommodation in the United Kingdom will be evaluated as part of the accommodation centres trial.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his figures on removals of failed asylum seekers include dependants; and whether this policy has operated in each of the last five years. [68636]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 9 July 2002]: Information on dependants of asylum seekers removed was not routinely collected until April 2001. Asylum removals statistics prior to this time relate to only the number of principal applicants removed and exclude dependants. The statistics since April 2001 show both the number of principal applicants removed and the number of dependants removed.
Asylum removals statistics are published on a quarterly basis on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html, as well as annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletins `Asylum Statistics' and 'Control of Immigration Statistics' 1079W and the Command Paper 'Control of Immigration Statistics', copies of which are available in the Library and on the Home Office website.