To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many caseworkers have been employed by the immigration and nationality directorate to work on asylum applications in each year since 1997. (25122)

We are not able to provide the information in the format requested. Staffing numbers are recorded by grade, location and work area. As the grade and responsibilities of caseworkers have changed over time, we are not able to establish accurately the number of caseworkers from this data.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many personnel were employed by the immigration and nationality directorate to process deportation orders in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003, (d) 2004, (e) 2005 and (f) the last period for which figures are available. (68722)

The number of employees engaged on processing deportation orders is not disaggregated from the overall number of employees within the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) and therefore not readily available. Any attempt to calculate the number of employees involved in processing deportation orders in each of the last five years would need to take into account a large number of factors and this could be done only at disproportionate cost.

However one of the main functions of the criminal casework directorate (CCD) within IND is to process deportation orders for foreign national prisoners. The average number of full-time equivalent employees in this area, from when the figures are available from 2002-03, during each of the past four financial years is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the decisions made by staff at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Public Enquiry Office in Croydon were subject to quality assurance checks in each year since 1997. (73694)

The number of cases sampled in the Public Enquiry Office during the period January 2006 to 23 May 2006 was 3.6 per cent. of completed cases. This compares to 1.7 per cent. of cases sampled for the period May 2005 to December 2005.

There are no formal records for the number of cases sampled in the Public Enquiry Office prior to May 2005. Prior to this date cases were cleared by a supervisor, but no central record was maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants were interviewed in the course of the Gbedemah Inquiry. (73695)

The PEO does not deal with asylum applicants. No asylum applicants were interviewed in the course of the Gbedemah Inquiry, which investigated allegations about practices within the Public Enquiry Office in Croydon.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the findings of the inquiry into allegations of abuse at Lunar House, Croydon; and if he will make a statement. (53496)

The findings of the investigation into allegations about practices within the Public Enquiry Office at Lunar House in Croydon were published on 14 March 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent instructions he has issued to the immigration and nationality directorate concerning the extension of analysis of PEO decisions to cover more cases and to include analysis of patterns and trends. (73708)

Tim Gbedemah’s report of 3 March 2006 specifically identified the need to cover more cases and to include analysis of patterns and trends. This recommendation was fully accepted and senior managers within the Public Inquiry Office are taking this work forward.