To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students from eastern Europe who in the last six months have been given permits to work in agriculture have applied for political asylum. [17250]

I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students from eastern Europe who have been given permits to work in the United Kingdom have been recruited by gangmasters to work in the food processing factories in Lincolnshire. [17248]

I regret that information on the number of eastern European students recruited by gangmasters to work in food processing factories in Lincolnshire is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many permits he has granted to students from eastern Europe to work in agriculture in the United Kingdom during the last six months. [17249]

Eight thousand five hundred such students entered the United Kingdom in the six months from May to October.