HC Deb 01 March 1995 vol 255 cc577-8W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for how long the person who has been detained for the longest period of time, while seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, has been in Haslar prison;

(2) if he will list (a) nationalities, (b) gender and age, (c) number of each nationality, (d) annual cost to Her Majesty's Government and (e) the total number of all those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom who are detained at Haslar prison.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

At 23 February 1995, a total of 83 people who had sought asylum were detained at the all-male Haslar holding centre. This figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following the refusal of their applications, as well as those whose applications were under consideration or subject to appeal. Information on the nationality and age of these detainees is given in the tables. The longest currently detained person at Haslar who had sought asylum has been detained since 23 March 1994.

Haslar is a Prison Service establishment run almost exclusively to house people detained under immigration powers. The Prison Service does not separate out costs according to the category of inmate but, in 1993–94, the net operating cost per prisoner place in local prisons and remand centres was £21,400.

Numbers of persons detained at Her Majesty's Holding Centre, Haslar' who have sought asylum, by nationality, as at 23 February 1995
Nationality Number detained
Europe and Americas
Bulgaria 1
Columbia 1
Poland 1
Russia 1
Turkey 3
Turkish Cyprus 1
Yugoslavia 1
Middle and Far East
Bangladesh 2
China 6
India 3
Numbers of persons detained at Her Majesty's Holding Centre, Haslar1 who have sought asylum, by nationality, as at 23 February 1995
Nationality Number detained
Iran 1
Pakistan 1
Africa
Algeria 11
Benin 1
Eritrea 1
Ghana 18
Kenya 2
Liberia 2
Nigeria 21
Sierra Leone 2
Sudan 3
Zaire 1
Total 184
1 One Haslar detainee is currently in hospital.
Numbers of persons detained at HM Holding Centre, Haslar1 who have sought asylum, by age, as at 23 February 1995
Age Number detained
19 or under 2
20–24 18
25–29 30
30–34 17
35–39 12
40–44 4
45 or over 1
Total 184
1 One Haslar detainee is currently in hospital.