HC Deb 11 June 2002 vol 386 cc1230-2W
Peter Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Centrex site at High Ercall has been proposed as a site for an asylum seeker accommodation centre. [52353]

Beverley Hughes

[holding answer 25 April 2002]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle) gave on 14 May 2002, Official Report, column 597W, when she announced that the Home Office would shortly be submitting planning notifications for accommodation centres at three sites. My hon. Friend also announced that a further three sites required further work before a decision could be taken as to whether to proceed to planning notifications.

Alongside the competition for the design, build and operation of accommodation centres the private sector were invited to submit their own proposals. All of these will be given due consideration across a range of criteria.

On 18 April 2002, my hon. Friend told the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr. Paterson), Official Report, column 1168W, that the site at High Ercall had not been proposed to the Home Office. Since that time a proposal has come forward. This does not necessarily mean that the site has become a serious prospect; nor will we be in a position to know whether it has until a full evaluation has taken place.

However, the general position remains that we will not be putting details of potential new sites into the public domain unless and until they are considered to be a serious prospect for the siting of an accommodation centre.

Linda Perham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what travel allowances will be paid to enable asylum seekers to comply with reporting requirements. [59995]

Beverley Hughes

The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill contains a provision which if introduced will allow the Secretary of State to meet the travel costs of asylum seekers required to report. The Bill does not provide that travel expenses will be met in all cases. It is intended to meet the reasonable costs of travel where appropriate.

Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the possible use of Sully hospital in Cardiff to house asylum seekers. [58837]

Beverley Hughes

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle) gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) on 14 May 2002,Official Report, column 597W.

Mr. Tom Harris

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many residents of Glasgow, Cathcart constituency have successfully applied for asylum in the past two years; [58874]

(2) how many residents of Glasgow, Cathcart constituency have applied for, and been refused, asylum in the last two years; [58873]

(3) how many asylum seekers living in Glasgow, Cathcart constituency are awaiting the outcome of their asylum applications; [58872]

(4) how many residents of Glasgow, Cathcart constituency have been removed from the UK following their failure to he granted asylum in the past two years. [58875]

Beverley Hughes

Asylum applications data are not available at regional level except by port (for those applications made at port—these accounted for 36 per cent. of applications in 2001).

Corresponding information on initial decision outcomes, cases outstanding and removals relating to persons in particular areas of the United Kingdom is also unavailable. The requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.

Tony Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the purpose is of the new asylum registration cards; and what statutory limits will be placed on their use. [57996]

Beverley Hughes

The Application Registration Card (ARC) is being issued to asylum seekers and their dependants as an acknowledgement of their application for asylum. It replaces the Standard Acknowledgement Letter (SAL) that has been widely forged.

The card will be used to obtain access to the services and benefits to which many asylum seekers are entitled including support payment in cash from National Asylum Support Service (NASS)-enabled Post Offices. Asylum seekers will be expected to produce their ARC when reporting to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, as a means of identification.

Clause 117 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill introduces offences in relation to the fraudulent use or production of application registration cards.