HC Deb 27 October 1997 vol 299 cc571-2
9. Mr. Allan

What plans he has to revise the practice of keeping asylum seekers in prison. [11665]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

A review of detention policy, including the use of prisons, is being undertaken. Interested groups have been asked to comment on the principal proposals and the final conclusions will be made known shortly.

Mr. Allan

Is it the Minister's intention to consult Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons on his view of the use of prison and detention centres for asylum seekers? Under the review, is it still intended to minimise the use of prison in line, with the Home Secretary's commitment to the Charter '87 group for refugees?

Mr. O'Brien

The answer to both questions is yes. I have discussed the detention review with Sir David Ramsbotham and asked him to compile some specific reports, including one into the situation at Campsfield, where there were some disturbances a few months ago. I have also asked him for some details of his views on the matter. The objective, as always, is to minimise the use of detention.

Mr. Malins

Many Conservative Members think that the Government are a soft touch for asylum seekers. Will the Minister confirm that it costs more than £500 a week to keep an asylum seeker in detention? How many asylum seekers are currently in detention and what is the total cost to the Exchequer? How long will the taxpayer put up with the fact that the Government appear so soft?

Mr. O'Brien

It sounds very much as though the hon. Gentleman is saying that the Government are a soft touch, which we are not, and then complaining that it costs too much to detain people. We detain the minimum number of people and ensure that we detain only those whom it is necessary to detain because of a fear that they might abscond. We were committed at the general election to maintaining firm immigration controls, we are committed to it today and we shall be committed to it throughout our time in office.

Mr. Linton

Does my hon. Friend the Minister agree that the real problem is that his predecessor left a backlog of 76,000 asylum cases that had not been dealt with when the Conservatives lost the general election?

Mr. O'Brien

That is certainly one of the key problems that we face in trying to resolve the difficulties of the asylum system. We have been handicapped not only by the backlog but by the complexities of the Dublin convention, which came into force on 1 September and has made it much more difficult to return asylum seekers to other countries, causing many problems in Dover, for example. We have also inherited the system of having 28 days to deal with manifestly unfounded asylum claims; it is bizarre, but it was the previous Government's rule. We are at a loss to explain why they had it, but they did. They bequeathed us a messy asylum system, and we are intent on cleaning it up, sorting it out and making it work efficiently and effectively.