To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of stateless people residing in the UK. (271503)

[holding answer 27 April 2009]: As signatories to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘the Stateless Convention’) we fulfil our Convention obligations, including recognition of the definition of stateless contained in Article 1 of the Convention.

No estimate has been made of the number of stateless people residing in the UK by the Home Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance is available to stateless people in the UK. (271504)

[holding answer 27 April 2009]: As signatories to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘the Stateless Convention’) we fulfil our convention obligations, including recognition of the definition of stateless contained in article 1 of the convention.

There is no provision in primary legislation or in the Immigration Rules that provides for assistance to be made available to a person on the basis of a claim that they are stateless. As with any other person subject to immigration control, a person claiming to be stateless will only be eligible for publicly funded assistance in limited circumstances: if they have applied for leave to enter or remain in the UK under the Immigration Rules, or if they have made a claim for international protection, and meet the criteria for specific assistance as applicable. While each case would be considered on its merits, in practice stateless people who are granted international protection would be eligible for assistance.