asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many failed asylum applicants with dependent children were receiving income and other benefits at the most recent date for which figures are available; what was the estimated annual cost of providing these benefits; how many have agreed to return voluntarily; and whether all such cases received support via the National Asylum Support Service. [HL1022]

Internal management information shows that in October 2006 there were approximately 7,730 failed asylum applicants with dependent children receiving support from the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND).

The estimated annual cost of IND support for these families is around £150 million.

In 2006, 570 families of asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers applied for assisted voluntary returns. Our records do not show whether all of these families were receiving support from IND.

No figures are available centrally on the number of cases supported by local authorities on the basis of Section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948. (All numbers of asylum seekers have been rounded to the nearest five).