To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been determined finally in the last five years; and how many were (a) allowed and (b) refused. [79296]

I regret that the information requested in not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been made in each of the last 12 months by (a) persons already in the UK and (b) persons arriving at ports of entry. [79297]

The requested information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will estimate the annual cost to (a) central Government and (b) local authorities of providing financial support to persons whose rights of appeal under immigration and asylum law have been exhausted; [79306](2) how many persons whose rights of appeal under immigration and asylum law have been exhausted are receiving

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the monetary cost in the past three years for which figures are available to (a) central Government and (b) local government of support for asylum seekers. [79305]

Asylum support costs are currently divided between the Department of Social Security and the Department of Health. In 1996–97, asylum support cost £407.7 million, of which £395 million was borne by the Department of Social Security. In 1997–98, asylum support cost £375 million, of which £305 million was borne by the Department of Social Security. Department of Health costs for 1998–99 are estimated at £190 million. Comparable costs for the Department of Social Security for 1998–99 are not yet available.The Department of Health has responsibility for three types of grant to local authorities for asylum seeker support. These are for asylum seekers who are supported under the National Assistance Act 1948, asylum seekers with families supported under the Children Act 1948 and unaccompanied children. As local authority expenditure above a set threshold is subject to only partial reimbursement, the full costs of asylum seeker support to local government are not known.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take (a) to discover the whereabouts of and (b) to deport those who have lost all their appeals under immigration and asylum law and who remain unlawfully in the UK. [79292]

The Immigration Service has established procedures to discover the whereabouts of those persons who remain unlawfully in the United Kingdom, based upon the use of intelligence, the work of a dedicated absconder tracing team and liaison with other agencies such as the Department of Social Security and police. Details of absconders are also entered on the Police National Computer.The Immigration and Asylum Bill currently before Parliament contains a range of measures to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws. Among proposed changes that will assist immigration officers in this respect are increased powers of arrest, and new powers to search for and seize evidence. We also intend extending the present powers to fingerprint inadequately documented passengers and immigration offenders.The Bill also provides for a new combined appeal process to prevent those at the end of the process from making further appeals in an attempt to frustrate removal, and a simplified administrative procedure to replace deportation in routine cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of people who have lost all their appeals under immigration and asylum law and remain unlawfully in the UK. [79289]

The information requested is not available in the form requested.The available information relates to the number of failed asylum seekers, excluding dependants, who have exhausted their rights of appeal (including any who did not submit an appeal against the refusal of asylum) and who are the subject of port or enforcement action. As at November 1998, that figure was estimated to be 24,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of asylum applicants currently in the UK with whom the authorities have lost contact. [79294]

As at November 1998, the number of known asylum absconders—those who have applied for asylum at some stage—was 20,000. This covers persons subject to port or enforcement action who have breached conditions of temporary admission, temporary release or restriction order, or are otherwise known to be out of contact with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Some persons recorded as absconders may have departed from the United Kingdom without the knowledge of IND. Information is not available on the numbers of in-country asylum seekers who have not had enforcement action initiated against them but who are out of contact with IND.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department takes to renew contact with asylum applicants with whom contact has been lost. [79293]

It is the responsibility of the asylum applicant to remain in contact with the Home Office. Failure to do so will result in refusal of the asylum claim for non compliance and consequent action to enforce departure, subject to any appeal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were deported from the UK in each of the last five years following final refusal of asylum applications. [79295]

The available information, relating to removals and voluntary departures under port and enforcement procedures of persons who have applied for asylum at some stage, is given in the table. Failed asylum seekers are only removed once all their rights of appeal in the United Kingdom have been exhausted. It should be noted that the figures may include some persons who withdrew their asylum application or appeal before a decision or determination had been reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the annual cost of enforcement action against failed asylum applicants by (a) the immigration service and (b) the police service in each of the last five years. [78659]

[holding answer 29 March 1999]: This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.