Written question asked by Claire Curtis-Thomas (Labour) on Monday, 7 June 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 22 June 2004. It was answered by Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 June 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the results of the pilot schemes on requiring asylum seekers to receive decisions in person. - Inc figures.

Answer: Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the results of the pilot schemes on requiring asylum seekers to receive decisions in person. [177868] Mr. Browne: The pilot exercise for the service in person of decisions was restricted to the service of appeal determinations for asylum seekers whose applications had been certified under schedule 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. The pilot was discontinued as legislative measures introduced under part 5 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 changed the point at which appeal rights became exhausted. As a consequence the pilot was curtailed and while the results were considered encouraging they were not thought conclusive. From 1 April 2003 only cases with an adverse statutory review decision were considered suitable for service in person as that was the point at which all appeal rights were exhausted. Since then the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) has received notification of 1,145 statutory review cases of which 848 have been dismissed. Of these 143 have been served in person of which 31 have been removed from the United Kingdom.

Secondary information