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Social Issues

UK Immigration Statistics for 2005

Immigration control regulates the entry and refusal of entry of passengers into the UK; the conditions of stay and any variations following entry; settlement and deportation. In 2005 the estimated number of international arrivals from outside the Common Travel Area rose by 5% while asylum applications, excluding dependants, fell by 24%.

Only 56 % of calls to DWP call centres answered

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) delivers benefits, pensions and employment services to 28 million customers in Britain. In 2004-05, the DWP spent £190 million using contact centres to provide customer services.

Following a National Audit Office (NAO) report 'Delivering Effective Services through Contact Centres' (HC 941), the Committee has examined the cost-effectiveness, accessibility and quality of customer services provided.

"Banking the unbanked": promoting financial inclusion

Financial exclusion can impose significant costs on individuals and be a barrier to employment and enterprise.

Many people are still facing problems in opening basic bank accounts and operating them to maximise their value.


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