To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals waited between their first application to the National Referral Mechanism and receiving their conclusive grounds decisions for (a) up to seven days, (b) eight to 45 days, (c) 46 days to three months, (d) three to six months and (e) over six months in the latest period for which figures are available. (318963)

[holding answer 1 March 2010]: Between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009, 132 decisions have been made at the conclusive grounds stage. From the date of referral (a) no conclusive grounds decision were released in the first seven days, (b) 24 were released in eight to 45 days, (c) 65 in 46 days to three months, (d) 39 in three to six months and (e) four took over six months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) average and (b) maximum number of case owners is in respect of each potential human trafficking case that has been referred through the National Referral Mechanism since 1 April 2009. (318972)

[holding answer 1 March 2010]: The majority of National Referral Mechanism cases are assessed by two officers. Upon referral, a case will be allocated to a competent authority case owner who will decide if someone is a victim of trafficking. Before the decision is released it will then be considered by a second person, normally a senior competent authority, to quality assure the decision.

In cases where a referral has been made by an external agency such as the police or local authority, and where there is an immigration issue but the person is not yet known to UKBA, the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) will make the reasonable grounds decision and then pass the case to the UKBA Competent Authority for the conclusive grounds decision. In these circumstances cases will be considered by four officers at various stages of the NRM process.

There will be instances where a case is assigned to a competent authority who becomes unavailable part way through consideration due to illness or a change in role. These circumstances are rare but where they occur they will result in the case being reallocated to another case owner.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much time elapsed between the asylum interview and a conclusive grounds decision in respect of the case of each potential victim of human trafficking referred to the National Referral Mechanism on the latest date for which figures are available. (319835)

[holding answer 1 March 2010]: The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for identifying victims of human trafficking includes a decision on whether a person is conclusively found to be a victim of trafficking. This is separate from the asylum system, which involves an assessment of whether someone has a well founded fear of persecution under the 1951 Geneva Convention.

It will be under a particular set of circumstances where there has been an asylum application leading to an asylum interview as well as a conclusive grounds trafficking decision for the same individual. Moreover the timing of the separate processes is not directly linked. Where an asylum application is made, it can be before, during or after a referral and conclusive grounds decision under the NRM.

The following is a table of cases where there has been an asylum interview and a conclusive grounds decision under the NRM with their respective dates: