BEVERLEY HUGHES MP, MR BILL JEFFREY AND MS ANGELA RAMLAGAN-SINGH

TUESDAY 4 MARCH 2003

  700. What is available to someone returning voluntarily?
  (Beverley Hughes) Outside of the Afghan programme it is benefits in kind at the moment not cash, up to the value of £500 per person.

  701. What about the air fare?
  (Beverley Hughes) Yes, that is all settled.

  702. The air fare, and then what are these benefits in kind and how are they delivered?
  (Beverley Hughes) They are delivered by the voluntary organisations in the countries to which people are going which will organise, as far as they can, whatever particular support people need and then get recompensed for that by the Home Office. It really depends whether it is help to organise housing, help into employment, those kinds of things, that will help people to restabilise themselves in their country.

  703. Would you be able to give us a breakdown of the countries to which these 1,200 people returned?
  (Beverley Hughes) Yes, of course.

  704. You could do that?
  (Beverley Hughes) Yes, we will provide you with that certainly.

  Chairman: It will give us some idea. Thank you very much for coming to see us. I am sorry we have strayed slightly over the two hours that we were aiming for. I think it has been a very helpful session and we look forward to seeing you again in the not-too-distant future. Thank you very much. Thank you to Mr Jeffrey and Ms Ramlagan-Singh. The session is closed.