§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have reached a decision on the need for an increase in the detention estate, as suggested in paragraph 12.14 of the White Paper Fairer, Faster 97WA and Firmer—a Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum (Cm 4018); and, if so, how many additional centres, of what capacity, they consider will be needed. [HL3342]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe size of the future detention estate has not been determined and is likely to remain under review for some time. That is because the effectiveness of the White Paper proposals for improvement in pre-entry, on-entry and after-entry control and the asylum decision-making process all have a bearing on the use of detention. Our aim is that more people will be detained for shorter periods, leading to increased removals of illegal entrants and failed asylum claimants.
The Government have also taken seriously the concerns of Sir David Ramsbotham, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, and others about the inappropriateness of the use of prison for those detained under sole Immigration Act powers. To respond to these concerns requires more discrete Immigration Service detention centres. Over the next five years, the Government intend to reduce the use of prisons for this purpose, replace the centre at Harmondsworth, which has reached the end of its useful life, and, as resources allow, provide between 300–400 additional places. This programme will also provide an opportunity to ensure appropriate accommodation for men, women, families and those presenting control problems. Project planning for this programme is under way. We should be able to give more detailed information on proposals by the end of the year.