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Refugees (Yugoslavia)

Volume 330: debated on Wednesday 28 April 1999

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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has given to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees of the number of refugees from Kosovo who will be offered protection in the United Kingdom. [81998]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees from the Kosovan conflict the Government have agreed to accept into the United Kingdom. [82226]

I refer to my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 April 1999, Official Report, columns 6–9, to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has made to his European Union counterparts to coordinate the emergency admission of refugees from the Kosovo conflict. [82225]

An emergency meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council was held on 7 April. The Council agreed that the first priority was to seek to protect refugees in the region. It was also agreed that the emergency relocation of refugees from the region should be co-ordinated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisions he has made to accept refugees from the conflict in former Yugoslavia to the United Kingdom. [82224]

We have always made it clear that the United Kingdom stands ready to receive some thousands of refugees from that region on criteria agreed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) who gives priority to relieving pressure on the camps by giving priority to the most vulnerable and those with family links in the United Kingdom.Under these arrangements, the first arrivals—161 refugees, mainly women and children—came to the United Kingdom on Sunday and are being looked after in Leeds. Reception centres are being staffed by the Refugee Council which is taking the lead in establishing a special reception service for Kosovan refugees arriving in the United Kingdom.On arrival, the refugees were given a basic health check to determine if anyone needed immediate medical attention; none of the refugees needed immediate hospital treatment. At the reception centres, each refugee will be given a more thorough health check and be assigned a General Practitioner; children of school age will be assigned to a local school and refugees will be put in touch with any known relatives or friends.People arriving under the UNHCR programme will be granted permission to enter in line with close family members already settled in the United Kingdom or 12 months' exceptional leave to enter to provide for their protection as requested by UNHCR. They will have

Payment reductions to private contractors managing prisons
PrisonDateAmount(£)Reason
AltcourseMay 199828,089Failure to meet performance standards
BlakenhurstFebruary 199441,167Temporary reduction in cell availability
November 199825,000Escape from escort
Buckley HallFebruary 1997526Failure to meet performance standards
Doncaster
Lowdham GrangeJuly 19987021 unavailable place
October 199845,080Failure to meet performance standards
January 199931,231Failure to meet performance standards
February 19996,334Failure to meet performance standards
ParcMarch 199854,782Failure to meet to standard requirements
May 19981,309Failure to meet performance standards
July 1998298Doubling cell occupation beyond permitted level
October 1998306,747Failure to meet performance standards
WoldsSeptember 199823,855Reduction in service

access to the benefits system, NHS medical treatment and will be entitled to work. Other refugees arriving independently will be eligible to apply for asylum in the usual way.