Chamber and committees

Supporting asylum seekers is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Borders Agency (UKBA) and its delivery partners. However, the Scottish Government remains clear that whilst asylum seekers are in Scotland they are to be welcomed and supported. The Minister for Public Health, Michael Matheson MSP recently wrote to the Chief Executive of Y People, Glasgow City Council’s accommodation provider acknowledging the way they have stepped in to provide assistance in addition to what they were legally required to do, which has obviously helped to alleviate the abject destitution which would have otherwise been faced by refused asylum seekers in Glasgow.

Scottish local authorities are obliged by statute to provide asylum seekers with accommodation under the homelessness legislation where eligibility for such assistance has been granted by the United Kingdom Borders Agency.

Asylum and Immigration are matters reserved to the UK Government, the United Kingdom Borders Agency (UKBA) and its delivery partners. However, the Scottish Government remains clear that whilst asylum seekers are in Scotland they are to be welcomed and supported, and to that end has regular discussions with UKBA and its delivery partners about the myriad issues relating to asylum seekers living here.

Asylum and Immigration are matters reserved to the UK Government, the United Kingdom Borders Agency and its delivery partners, and provision of support is a matter for them. However, the Scottish Government remains clear that whilst asylum seekers are in Scotland they are to be welcomed and supported, and to that end provides funding to the Scottish Refugee Council (£1.65 million during 2012-15) in order that they can work with local partners to provide support, advice and practical assistance to asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland.

Information on the number of residents of Scotland who received medical treatment as an in-patient or day case (elective and emergency admissions) in other parts of the UK is provided for England, Northern Ireland and Wales separately. The data across the UK is not directly comparable due to differences in data definitions. The tables are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 53931).

Information on the combined annual cost to NHS boards is not collected centrally.

The following table sets out details of the number of children under the age of one who have contracted pertussis (whooping cough) in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011:

The following table sets out the number of cases of pertussis (whooping cough) recorded in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011:

The following table sets out the uptake rates for the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination (completed primary course of pertussis containing vaccine at 24 months) in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011:

Note: *Part year until September 2011.

The following table sets out the median age for people contracting pertussis (whooping cough) in the NHS Lanarkshire area in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011:

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06048 on 13 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.