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100008

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to review the azure payment card for asylum seekers as a result of the new report by the British Red Cross on the humanitarian cost of the card.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2223
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Azure card is issued to destitute failed asylum seekers who require support because they are temporarily unable to leave the United Kingdom and can be used at most of the main supermarket chains to purchase food and other essential items. The performance of the card is kept under regular review and the views of reputable partners such as the Red Cross are carefully considered but the Government is satisfied that it is an effective way of ensuring the individuals are able to meet their essential living needs and not left destitute.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 27/10/2014 12:15:07 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

100012

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum claimants are left without any state support, on reaching the age of 18.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2227
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>There is no reason why any asylum seekers should be left without support on reaching the age of 18. Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are looked after by local authorities and most will continue to be supported in this way after the age of 18 under leaving care legislation while they remain in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Any asylum seeker that does not have an entitlement to leaving care support would be eligible to support from the Home Office under the provisions of section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they were destitute.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 27/10/2014 12:40:35 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

101001

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been on support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 for a period in excess of (1) six months, (2) one year and (3) five years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2457
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The information requested is shown in the following table:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><p><strong>Length of time people have been on Section 4 support</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Period on support</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of People</strong></p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>6 to 12 months</p></td><td><p>684</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>1 year to 5 years</p></td><td><p>3013</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>5 years or more</p></td><td><p>698</p></td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 18/11/2014 15:22:06 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

101680

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that Azure Card users are able to meet their essential living needs; and on what grounds they base their assessment.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2502
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Failed asylum seekers supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are provided with accommodation; utilities, household equipment and healthcare are provided free. The Azure Card is provided to enable them to buy food and other items and is uploaded each week to the value of £35.39 for each person in the household. Extra assistance is also provided where necessary, for example by arranging travel to medical appointments and by providing maternity grants for pregnant women.</p><p>The Government keeps this package of assistance under review but is satisfied that it meets the essential living needs of recipients of section 4 support.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 11/11/2014 16:51:54 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

106185

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people for whom return is not possible have been in receipt of support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 for longer than six months.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2656
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>Support is provided in some circumstances to failed asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.</p><p>Although no specific records are kept, only a small number of people seek support because they claim they are permanently unable to leave the UK. Support is provided because there is a temporary legal or practical obstacle to departure, for example because the person is too sick to travel or needs time to apply for the necessary travel document. The number of people who have been on section 4 support for more than 6 months is 4,395.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 18/11/2014 15:20:07 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

156526

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they would incur any contractual penalties if they were to decide to cancel the Azure Card; and if so what those penalties would be.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2949
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>The Contract does not include any penalties for early termination of provision of the Azure Card.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 25/11/2014 14:30:59 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

156527

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many, if any, refused asylum seekers have had support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 removed.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2950
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>This question has been interpreted as requesting information on the number of people who have received Section 4 support and been removed from the UK.</p><p>Since 2007 we have removed 2301 people who have received Section 4 support.</p><p>The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. This response was obtained by data matching a number of different databases. This is therefore likely to under-report the total figure as it will not capture data where individuals have variances in their personal details recorded on the different databases.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 25/11/2014 14:30:44 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

156528

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many refused asylum seekers, who have been supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, have subsequently been granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2951
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>This question has been interpreted as requesting the number of people who have received Section 4 support and have also, at some point, been granted leave to remain in the UK.</p><p>Since 2007 we have granted leave to remain to 1197 people who have also received Section 4 support.</p><p>The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. This response was obtained by data matching a number of different databases. This is therefore likely to under-report the total figure as it will not capture data where individuals have variances in their personal details recorded on the different databases.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 25/11/2014 14:34:21 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

156529

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have conducted any assessment of relative value for money to the Exchequer of cash-based, voucher-based, or Azure Card support systems for refused asylum seekers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2952
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2014 answer text <p>Existing legislation explicitly prevents the Home Office from introducing cash for section 4 support.</p><p>The Azure Card replaced the previous section 4 voucher system in 2010. The voucher system was open to abuse, fraud and presented poor value for money to the people who relied on it and the UK taxpayer. The Refugee Council report &quot;More Token Gestures&quot; also contended that vouchers stigmatised their users and were inflexible.</p><p>The administration of the Azure Card scheme is largely self-financing, non-resource intensive, and provides a less stigmatising and more fraud resistant method of support than the voucher system.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 27/11/2014 12:49:59 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

175910

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2015
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 20 November 2014 (HL Deb, cols 545–610), what extra information on how Azure Card users can apply for travel assistance has been provided.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL4490
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>Information and guidance about travel assistance is published on the GOV.UK website and is widely known by the voluntary sector organisations that assist Azure card users, including Migrant Help, which is funded by the Home Office to provide an advice service. However, a mailshot planned for February will provide information direct to all card users.</p><p>The Azure Card is accepted by over 8,000 retail outlets. These include the following retailers: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Boots, Iceland, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers.</p><p>Since the card was introduced in 2009 the majority of the main UK retailers have been approached and have either agreed to join the scheme or have declined to do so. However, there are ongoing discussions with some retailers who may still be interested in joining the scheme.</p><p>There is no numerical target on the number of retailers that might be added to the scheme.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 05/02/2015 14:11:36 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno