I wish to present a petition from 394 signatories from Teesside and elsewhere. It is signed by Kath Sainsbury, who works tirelessly for all asylum seekers in Teesside.

The petition states:

The Petition of residents of Teesside and others, Declares the Petitioners’ serious concerns about the voucher scheme currently administered to individuals who qualify for support under Section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999. The Petitioners further declare that the vouchers stigmatise and degrade those who are forced to use them. The vouchers fail to meet the needs of the recipient because they can only be used in certain shops for a limited range of goods. Often, these shops are not located in the neighbourhoods where the refugee community live and people are forced to travel—this can cause severe hardship because vouchers are not accepted on public transport, yet voucher recipients do not have the option of using cash.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for the Home Department to use his powers to rescind the Section 4 voucher scheme and replace it with cash payments.

To lie upon the Table.