To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2008, Official Report, column 1798W, on local Authorities: Asylum, what funding her Department allocated from the Transitional Costs Fund in 2007-08, broken down by recipient local authority; how much has been allocated from the Fund for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and if she will make a statement. (208657)

[holding answer 5 June 2008]: The UK Border Agency is making available to local authorities limited sums from existing budgets in order to allow them to deal with additional transitory expenditure which they incur as a result of UKBA's programme to deal with outstanding claims for asylum. No payments have yet been made to local authorities. No funds have been allocated for 2009-10. The Home Affairs Select Committee is due to be updated later this month on the progress of the work to clear the backlog of older cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2008, Official Report, column 1798W, on local authorities: asylum, how much her Department allocated to the Transitional Costs Fund in 2007-08; how much has been allocated for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and if she will make a statement. (208658)

[holding answer 5 June 2008]: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is making available to local authorities limited sums from existing budgets in order to allow them to deal with additional transitory expenditure which they incur as a result of UKBA's programme to deal with outstanding claims for asylum. No payments have yet been made to local authorities; UKBA has established a panel to adjudicate on claims but, until that panel has met, it is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the likely cost. The panel is scheduled to hold its first adjudication meeting on 11 June. No funds have been allocated for 2009-10 as UKBA will only meet transitional costs arising from this programme. The Home Affairs Select Committee is due to be updated later this month on the progress of the programme.