Northern Ireland Racial Equality Strategy
Home Department

Margaret Ritchie (South Down, Social Democratic and Labour Party)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the terms of reference are of her Department's co-ordinating group referred to in Section 3.9 of the Northern Ireland Racial Equality Strategy; what the date has been of each meeting of that group since March 2009; what agenda items were discussed at each meeting; which government departments or non-departmental public bodies attended each meeting; and which voluntary and community sector representatives attended each meeting.

Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative)

holding answer 30 April 2012

I refer to the hon. Member to the answers given on 6 March 2012, Hansard, columns 638-39W and 30 April 2012, Hansard, columns 1079-80W answered on 30 April 2012.

The national asylum stakeholder forum (NASF) was launched on 12 July 2007. The forum was designed to promote dialogue, transparency and the ability to work in partnership between the Agency and its external partners. The group meets bi-monthly and is comprised of a number of voluntary sector and other government department attendees. Membership can be found in the list placed in the Library of the House.

The group has met 28 times to discuss a range of issues. The UK Border Agency is currently taking forward five joint pieces of work with NASF partners looking at the applicant journey, asylum screening reform, the quality of asylum decisions, gender issues and integration. In addition to the previous answer, there are now two additional standing items on the agenda namely: Criminal Casework and discussions around legal aid.

The terms of reference have been placed in the Library of the House.