§ Mr. Mike O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the longest time someone currently seeking asylum has been detained;
658W(2) what is the number of people seeking asylum who are presently detained, either awaiting a hearing or awaiting deportation.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerAs at 23 February 1995, the longest currently detained person who had sought asylum has been held in detention since 14 August 1990. The individual concerned was detained following the Home Secretary's decision that his deportation would he conducive to the public good on grounds of national security. He subsequently applied for asylum, and his application was refused on 27 March 1991. My right hon. and learned Friend has given an undertaking that he should not be removed pending the exhaustion of rights of appeal before the domestic courts and the European Court of Human Rights, should the individual wish to exercise these rights.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member from Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 2 February 1995, Official Report, column 813, which gave the available information on the number of people detained pending an appeal or awaiting removal.
§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish a list of all the prisons and other establishments which people for asylum in the United Kingdom are being detained, and the numbers of detainees in each place;
(2) how many of those people seeking asylum in United Kingdom and who are detained at Haslar prison have, in the past 12 months, (a) been given permission to remain in the United Kingdom as political refugees, (b) been deported to their country of origin, (c) died in detention, (d) committed suicide, (e) attempted to commit suicide, (f) applied for bail and (g) been granted bail;
(3) how many people who are seeking asylum in Britain are currently held in prisons.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerThe majority of people detained under immigration powers are housed in immigration service detention centres at Harmondsworth and Campsfield house, or at Haslar, a Prison Service establishment run almost exclusively for this purpose. At 23 February 1995, 635 persons who had sought asylum were being detained. Of these, 268 persons were being detained in prison in the United Kingdom, including Haslar holding centre, and the remainder were being held in other immigration service detention centres. A list of the numbers of detainees in each place of detention is given in the table.
Details on persons who had sought asylum and were detained at Haslar holding centre in 1994 are not available. There were no incidents of death by suicide or otherwise among the asylum detainees at Haslar holding centre in 1994, but one person attempted suicide.
659W
Number of persons detained who have claimed asylum as at 23 February 1995, by place of detention. Place of detention Number detained Prisons HMP Haslar 77 HMP Rochester 71 HMP Brixton 17 HMP Wormwood Scrubs 7 HMP Hull 4 HMP Pentonville 4 HMP Birmingham 28 HMP Horfield, Bristol 4
Number of persons detained who have claimed asylum as at 23 February 1995, by place of detention. Place of detention Number detained HMP Bullingdon 2 HMP Billingdon 1 HMP Blunderston 1 HMP Winchester 3 HMP Wandsworth 6 HMP Belmarsh 5 HMP Chelmsford 2 HMP Dorchester 1 HMP Armley, Leeds 4 HMP Erlestoke 1 HMP Highdown 1 HMP Liverpool 1 HMP Norwich 3 HMP Crumlin Road 1 HMP The Mount 1 HMP Whitemoor 1 HMP Bullwood Hall 1 HMP Exeter 1 HMP Greenock 4 HMP Hindley 1 HMP Holme House 1 HMP Lewes 1 HMP Manchester 3 HMP Risley 1 HMP Wayland 1 HMRC The Wolds 3 HMYOI Brinsford 5 268 Other places of detention Campsfield House 151 Harmondsworth 95 Beehive, Gatwick 15 Queens Building 11 Newhaven 10 Dover Harbour Board 10 Stansted 5 Others1 70 367 Total 635 1 Includes other immigration service detention centres and police cells.