HC Deb 04 June 2003 vol 406 cc457-60W
David Davis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department(1) how many asylum seekers there were in (a) Hull and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in each month since 1997; how long each application took to process; and how many applications were (i) successful and (ii) rejected;—blank;[97734]

(2) how many asylum seekers housed in Hull and the East Riding have received financial support from the National Asylum Support Service; and what benefits were paid to asylum seekers prior to the introduction of the National Asylum Support Service in each quarter since 1997. [97733]

Beverley Hughes

The information is not available in the form requested.

The availability of information on the location of asylum seekers in the UK is currently linked to the support the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers in the UK either receive support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), local authorities or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or are supporting themselves.

Information on outstanding asylum cases, initial decision outcomes and asylum case processing times relating to persons in particular areas of the UK is unavailable as are statistics regarding the location of asylum seekers not in receipt of support.

NASS does not disperse asylum seekers to any areas in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The following table shows the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) accommodated by NASS in the Hull cluster area as at the end of each quarter since June 2000:1

Date Number of asylumseekers (including dependants) supported in NASS accommmodation in the Hull cluster area
As at end June 2000 2
As at end September 2000 380
As at end December 2000 960
As at end March 2001 1,015
As at end June 2001 915
As at end September 2001 1,000
As at end December 2001 1,035
As at end March 2002 1,035
As at end June 2002 995
As at end September 2002 995
1All figures have been rounded to the nearest five, figures between one and two are represented by a2.

Figures exclude cases where support has been ceased.

Additionally, some asylum seekers receive subsistence only support from NASS or are disbenefited cases2.Statistics on the location of these cases are currently only available at regional level. The following table shows the total number of subsistence only and disbenefited cases (including dependants) which were supported in the YorkshireHumberside region(which includes the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull) as at the end of each quarter since December 2000:

Date Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) receiving subsistence only support, or being supported as a disbenefited case, and staying in the Yorks & Humberside region
As at end December 2000 85
As at end March 2001 115
As at end June 2001 140
As at end September 2001 215
As at end December 2001 310
As at end March 2002 510
As at end June 2002 600
As at end September 2002 735
2 Disbenefited cases are cases which were previously supported under the main UK. benefits system and have been moved onto NASS support. Some of these cases have remained in the original social services accommodation.

From grant claims sent to the Home Office by local authorities, as at the end of September 2002, there were the following additional number of asylum seekers being supported by the local authorities in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire:

Local Authority Number of singles supported as at end of Sep 2002 Number of families supported as at end of Sep 2002
East Riding 5 0
Hull 35 5

In previous years, information is only available on the number of weeks' support paid for by local authorities rather than the number of asylum seekers actually supported.

Prior to the introduction of NASS, asylum applicants claiming asylum on arrival were eligible to receive urgent case payments under income support arrangements. Payments equated to 90 per cent. of income support rates.

Asylum seekers claiming asylum in country were eligible to receive support from their local authority and payments were made to meet their essential living needs.

Statistics on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in each region are available on the Home Office's Immigration and Asylum Statistics website. Detailed figures will next be published on 28 February 2003 in the bulletin covering quarter four of 2002:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.