Asylum: Gender

Ms Abbott

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of New Asylum Model case owners in each region are (a) male and (b) female; and if he will make a statement. (140902)

The requested information is shown in the table.

*Percentage case owners*
Regional asylum teams	Male¹	Female²
North East	45	55
Wales and the South West	52	48
West Midlands, East Midlands and East of England	26	74
North West	40	60
London and the South East	41	59
Scotland and Northern Ireland	38	62
¹ Percentages are based on management information. ² Includes Detained Fast Track teams at Harmondsworth and Yarl's Wood.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Border and Immigration Agency is expected to have the capacity to allow asylum seekers at screening stage to express a preference as to the sex of the New Asylum Model case owner to be allocated to them and for that request to be met; and if he will make a statement. (140903)

Applicants can request a gender specific case owner at any time, including during the screening interview. All requests will be met where it is operationally possible to do so.

Volume 461: debated on Monday 11 June 2007