---

18 May 2011 : Column WA325

18 May 2011 : Column WA325

Written Answers

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Airports: Holding Rooms

Questions

Asked by Baroness Stern

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that families are no longer held in holding rooms at Heathrow Airport during the period of secondary examination but are accommodated in non-custodial facilities offering facilities designed to meet the needs of children. [HL9119]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Browning): The UK Border Agency has ended the detention of children for immigration purposes. In exceptional circumstances where it is imperative to detain families in the short-term holding facilities at any port, such cases are prioritised and expedited as soon as possible. Where it appears that secondary examination may not be concluded without prolonged detention, the family will be appropriately released on temporary admission or transferred to the family unit at Tinsley House.

Asked by Baroness Stern

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in the planned refurbishment and installation of showers in the holding rooms at terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport; and when they expect those renovations to be completed.[HL9120]

Baroness Browning: The UK Border Agency has been liaising with BAA to progress the refurbishment of the terminal 3 holding room. BAA has agreed to a programme of works that will include a deep clean and installing new lighting. They have also agreed to try to identify funding to upgrade the flooring and furniture.

The main holding room and family room at terminal 3 has recently been painted.

UK Border Agency officials are awaiting quotes and a timeframe from contractors for the installation of a shower in the holding room.

Animals: Product Testing

Question

Asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the implementation of the ban on testing household products on animals; and whether a date for implementation of the ban has been set.[HL9141]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Browning): We are working towards delivering the ban on the testing of household products on animals through the conditions of licences issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. I am not yet in a position to set a date for implementation of the ban.

18 May 2011 : Column WA326

Apprenticeships

Question

Asked by Lord Teverson

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that apprenticeships are available to young people and school leavers in rural areas, given the concentration of larger businesses in urban centres.[HL9055]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The apprenticeships programme is demand-led. Therefore expanding and improving the apprenticeship offer depends in no small measure on a large and diverse range of businesses taking the opportunity to employ apprentices.

We recognise that delivering apprenticeships in rural areas has its challenges. However, evidence from the national employer skills survey tells us that small and medium-sized enterprises employ proportionately more apprentices than larger employers, and we are committed to simplifying the system to make it as easy and simple as possible for them to continue to do so.

The National Apprenticeship Service and local enterprise partnerships are key to shaping effective delivery, and group training association (GTA) and apprenticeship training agency (ATA) models are making it easier for small business take on apprentices. This type of delivery model can be particularly effective outside urban centres.

Armed Forces: Accommodation

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what work has been carried out in the financial year 2010-11 under the Ministry of Defence's single living accommodation modernisation (SLAM) programme.[HL9016]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The Ministry of Defence's single living accommodation modernisation (SLAM) programme delivered 2,582 bed spaces in 2010-11. Sites included Catterick, Hounslow, RNAS Culdrose, RAF Brize Norton and Innsworth.

In addition, 2,229 bed spaces were under construction and 3,432 bedspaces were in design.

Armed Forces: Dental Services

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the defence dental services. [HL9017]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The defence dental services (DDS) oral health strategic plan provides the framework for improvement in defence dental services. The plan focuses on the tailored provision of dental

18 May 2011 : Column WA327

treatment to service personnel at the earliest opportunity in their careers and the development of a clearly defined preventive pathway based on a risk assessment.

Project MOLAR is designed to provide an early oral health assessment and then rapid initial treatment of Army recruits, quickly improving their oral health. Introduced in 2006, this initiative has resulted in a significant increase in the dental fitness of the Army and the halving of the outstanding treatment need of the population. The success of the project is such that it will now be extended to the other services. The reduction in the need for operative treatment affords the opportunity to increase the number of preventive interventions, such as fluoride applications, which will in turn reduce future treatment needs in the population and helps to increase the number of personnel who are able to deploy on operations.

Robust performance management systems are also in place and these are supported by intelligent analysis of more accurate and detailed reports available since the introduction of the Defence Medical Information Capability Programme (DMICP). Furthermore, continued analysis of morbidity data from operational theatres informs policy changes and assists in the identification of the most effective treatment options for the population.

The dental fitness level of our service personnel is statistically at a higher level than has been previously recorded.

Asylum Seekers

Questions

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 30 March (WA 264), how many asylum seekers and dependants in total have made asylum applications since 1997.[HL9144]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Browning): A total of 375,285 principal applicants and dependants made asylum applications between 2002 and 2010 inclusive. Data for dependants are unavailable prior to 2002. A total of 301,015 principal applicants (only) made asylum applications between 1997 and 2001 inclusive. A breakdown by year is shown in the attached table.

18 May 2011 : Column WA328

Asylum applications (1)(2) received in the United Kingdom, principal applicants and dependants, 1997-2010
	Applications
Year	Principal applicants	Dependants (2)	Total (principal applicants & dependants)
1997	32,500	..	..
1998	46,015	..	..
1999	71,160	..	..
2000	80,315	..	..
2001	71,025	..	..
2002	84,130	18,950	103,080
2003	49,405	10,640	60,045
2004	33,960	6,665	40,625
2005	25,710	5,130	30,840
2006	23,610	4,715	28,320
2007	23,430	4,870	28,300
2008	25,930	5,380	31,315
2009 (P)	24,485	6,185	30,675
2010 (P)	17,790	4,300	22,090

(1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 ( - = 0, = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.

(2) May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2000.

(3) Data for dependants unavailable before 2002.

(P) Provisional data.

.. Not available

Information on asylum applications is available in the published tables of the quarterly Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom Q4 2010, published in February 2011.

This publication is available in the Library of the House and the Home Office Science website at http://www. home office.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics.

Data for quarter one 2011 will be published on 26 May 2011.

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government to which European Union countries asylum seekers who first sought asylum in those countries are not returned from the United Kingdom at present; how many such individuals were not returned in the last year; and why they were not returned.[HL9146]

Baroness Browning: The only EU country that is a signatory of the Dublin regulations to which UK does not return is Greece. This policy came into effect on 20 September 2010. In the past 12 months, the UK has suspended the return of 1,349 applicants to Greece. The decision to suspend removal was a pragmatic decision based on the cost to the taxpayer while we wait for the decision of the European Court of Human Rights on whether returning asylum seekers to Greece breaches Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 10 May (WA 199-200), how many asylum seekers have applied for asylum from each Commonwealth country in the last 10 years; how many of those have been refused asylum; and to which of those countries are people presently not returned if asylum is refused.[HL9206]

Baroness Browning: The numbers of asylum applications received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, from nationals of each Commonwealth country over the last 10 years are provided below in Table A.

18 May 2011 : Column WA329



18 May 2011 : Column WA330

Asylum applications received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants(1), 2001 to 2010, Commonwealth nationals
Country of nationality	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009 (P)	2010 (P)
Antigua and Barbuda	*	*	-	-	*	*	-	*	*	-
Australia	*	5	*	*	-	-	*	*	5	*
Bahamas, The	-	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bangladesh	510	720	735	510	425	440	540	455	440	450
Barbados	*	-	-	-	-	*	-	*	*	*
Belize	-	*	*	-	-	-	*	-	-	*
Botswana	*	10	15	10	5	5	5	5	10	15
Brunei	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cameroon	380	615	505	360	290	260	160	115	90	85
Canada	5	5	5	5	5	5	*	*	5	*
Cyprus	20	40	5	-	-	-	*	-	-	-
Dominica	-	-	-	5	*	*	*	-	*	5
Fiji(2)				-	-	-
Gambia, The	65	130	95	100	90	110	100	125	210	240
Ghana	190	275	325	355	230	130	120	140	140	165
Grenada	-	-	-	*	-	5	*	*	5	*
Guyana	5	10	10	5	5	*	5	10	10	5
India	1,850	1,865	2,290	1,405	940	680	510	715	615	520
Jamaica	525	1,310	965	455	325	215	240	240	200	215
Kenya	305	350	220	145	100	95	115	150	100	115
Kiribati	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lesotho	*	5	-	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Malawi	45	95	150	170	130	65	65	115	160	165
Malaysia	20	25	20	15	20	20	30	35	35	55
Maldives	-	15	*	5	-	*	-	-	*	-
Malta	*	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mauritius	15	10	10	20	10	15	20	20	15	40
Mozambique	5	5	5	5	5	*	*	5	*	*
Namibia	5	10	*	*	*	10	5	10	20	20
Nauru	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
New Zealand	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-
Nigeria	810	1,125	1,010	1,090	1,025	790	780	820	680	780
Pakistan	2.860	2.405	1,915	1,710	1,145	965	1,030	1,230	1,300	1,400
Papua New Guinea	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rwanda	530	655	260	75	40	20	15	20	25	20
St. Kitts and Nevis	-	-	-	-	*	-	*	*	-	*
St. Lucia	*	*	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	*	-	*	*	*	*	*	*	5	5
Samoa	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Seychelles	15	20	10	5	*	*	*	5	5	*
Sierra Leone	1,940	1,155	380	230	135	125	85	55	80	80
Singapore	*	5	5	5	*	-	*	*	*	*
Solomon Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
South Africa	130	230	265	180	120	90	12D	145	175	125
Sri Lanka	5,510	3,130	705	330	395	525	990	1,475	1,115	1,360
Swaziland	*	*	5	*	*	5	5	15	5	*
Tanzania	80	40	30	20	20	15	20	25	35	25
Tonga	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trinidad and Tobago	5	5	15	10	5	5	*	15	30	10
Tuvalu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-	-
Uganda	480	715	705	405	205	165	130	130	155	215
Vanuatu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zambia	20	15	15	15	15	15	15	10	30	15
Zimbabwe(3)	2,140	7,655	3,295	2,065	1,075	1,650	1,800	3,165	5,600	1,410
Total	18,495	22,656	13,985	9,715	6,780	6,440	6,925	9,275	11,305	7,565

18 May 2011 : Column WA331

(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5(- = 0,* = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.

(2) Fiji has had membership of the Commonwealth suspended since 8 December 2006.

(3) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.

18 May 2011 : Column WA332

(P) Provisional figures.

The numbers of refusals at initial decision for nationals of each Commonwealth country over the past 10 years are provided below in Table B.

18 May 2011 : Column WA333



18 May 2011 : Column WA334

Refusals(1)(2) of asylum, exceptional leave, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, excluding dependants, 2001 to 2010, Commonwealth nationals
Country of nationality	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009 (P)	2010 (P)
Antigua and Barbuda	-	*	*	-	*	-	-	-	-	*
Australia	*	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*
Bahamas, The	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bangladesh	920	445	500	305	250	260	325	250	275	360
Barbados	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	*	*
Belize	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Botswana	5	5	15	5	5	*	5	5	5	10
Brunei	*	-	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cameroon	500	440	525	335	245	185	165	90	70	75
Canada	*	5	5	5	*	*	-	-	5	*
Cyprus	25	40	20	5	-	-	-	*	-	-
Dominica	-	-	-	5	*	*	*	-	-	5
Fiji(3)	5	5	5	-	-	-	-	*	*	*
Gambia, The	65	105	100	115	80	90	75	60	130	180
Ghana	330	230	320	315	190	85	95	95	95	150
Grenada	*	-	-	*	*	*	*	-	5	*
Guyana	5	5	10	5	5	*	5	10	10	5
India	2,880	1,815	2,300	1,510	915	565	430	325	280	345
Jamaica	470	890	1,105	500	305	160	225	170	155	200
Kenya	820	300	245	170	95	80	95	110	75	100
Kiribati	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lesotho	*	5	*	*	*	-	*	-	*	*
Malawi	55	55	150	150	110	50	55	70	135	145
Malaysia	25	20	30	10	10	10	15	20	20	35
Maldives	*	10	*	*	-	-	-	-	*	*
Malta	-	*	*	*	*	-	-	-	-	-
Mauritius	20	5	10	20	5	10	15	20	10	35
Mozambique	5	5	*	5	5	5	*	5	5	*
Namibia	5	10	*	*	*	10	5	5	10	15
Nauru-		-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
New Zealand	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-
Nigeria	1,110	1,010	1,040	990	805	560	595	560	515	715
Pakistan	3,995	2,310	2,050	1,795	1,040	690	775	730	1,010	1,260
Papua New Guinea	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rwanda	455	315	360	170	50	15	25	10	15	25
St. Kitts and Nevis	-	-	-	-	-	-	*	-	-	*
St. Lucia	*	*	*	5	*	5	5	5	5	5
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	*	*	-	-	*	*	*	*	*	5
Samoa	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Seychelles	15	20	10	5	5	*	*	*	5	*
Sierra Leone	1,125	1,255	610	320	145	85	80	35	50	75
Singapore	5	5	5	*	5	-	-	*	-	*
Solomon Islands	-	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
South Africa	135	190	245	230	90	55	85	75	115	125
Sri Lanka	8370	3,670	1,355	625	455	370	810	670	1,060	1.395
Swaziland	*	*	*	5	*	5	10	5	5	5
Tanzania	110	35	40	20	20	15	20	20	25	25
Tonga	-	*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trinidad and Tobago	10	10	15	5	5	5	5	5	15	20
Tuvalu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Uganda	955	510	615	355	190	125	115	80	130	180
Vanuatu	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zambia	40	15	15	20	15	10	10	15	20	15
Zimbabwe(4)	1,970	3,885	3.285	2,310	945	1,510	1,155	2.015	4,110	1,300
Total	24,435	17,630	14,990	10,320	5,995	4,960	5,200	5,465	8,375	6,825

(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.

(2) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions, by year of decision.

(3) Fiji has had membership of the Commonwealth suspended since 8 December 2006.

(4) Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003, having been suspended since 19 March 2002.

(P) Provisional figures.

---