ASYLUM SUPPORT RATES

Early day motion 1019, tabled 5 February 2013 by Baroness Teather (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 41 members.

That this House believes that Britain can rightly be proud of its history of welcoming those fleeing persecution and war; welcomes the cross-party parliamentary report on asylum support for children and families; notes with concern the finding of that report that current asylum support levels are leaving up to 10,000 children destitute or in severe poverty; further believes that section 4 support rates are especially austere and that cashless payments impose damaging restrictions on how families buy essential items; further notes that asylum support rates have not been increased since April 2011; regrets that the previous Government broke the historic link between support rates for asylum seekers and income support; calls on the Government to increase asylum support rates so that they are at least equal to 70 per cent of income support and to up-rate support rates annually; and further calls on the Government to abolish section 4 support and implement a single cash-based support system.

Signatures by party: Labour 21, Liberal Democrat 9, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, DUP 2, Scottish National Party 2, Alliance 1, Conservative 1, Green 1, Independent 1.