Asylum Accommodation Centres (Hansard, 10 June 2002)

§ 22. Mr. Luff
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proposed locations for the asylum accommodation centres. [57069]

§ Beverley Hughes
We have submitted a planning notification at two sites, near Bicester in Oxfordshire and at RAF Newton in Nottinghamshire. We intend to submit a planning notification with regards to Throckmorton Airfield, in the hon Member's Constituency, shortly. Further work is required on sites at AirWest Edinburgh, Sully Hospital (Glamorgan) and Hemswell Cliff (Lincolnshire) before a decision can be taken on whether to proceed to planning notifications.
Consultation with the relevant local authorities will continue, including public meetings.

§ Mr. Luff
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sites were considered for asylum accommodation centres before the shortlist of eight was agreed; and if he will list the other sites considered and the reasons for their exclusion. [57089]

§ Beverley Hughes
We have put into the public domain the location of all sites which were considered to merit detailed assessment for the purpose of siting an accommodation centre and will continue to do so in the future. We do not consider that it would be appropriate to put into the public domain details of sites which were not considered to merit detailed assessment.

§ Mr. Allan
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) pursuant to his answer of 8 May 2002,Official Report, column 234W on asylum seekers, if he will define suitably qualified staff for the management of education provision in accommodation centres; [57712]
796W
(2) what criteria will be used to assess the suitability of private contractors who will provide education in accommodation centres. [57624]

§ Beverley Hughes
I refer the hon. Member to the reply of 20 March 2002,Official Report, column 412W which my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle) gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett). We are still in discussions with other Government Departments on the management of education provision in accommodation centres.
Those selected to operate the centres will be obliged to operate within strict Home Office guidelines.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will respond to the public petitions presented in the House on plans for an accommodation centre for asylum seekers near Bicester. [57966]

§ Beverley Hughes
[holding answer 21 May 2002]: A response will be submitted shortly.

§ Mr. Luff
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long planning authorities will have to respond to notification from his Department about proposals to build an asylum accommodation centre in their area; and what timetable there will be for subsequent non-statutory planning inquiries. [59084]

§ Beverley Hughes
In general, local planning authorities will have eight weeks to respond to a planning notification from the Home Office in line with the ordinary provisions contained within Circular 18/84. However, where there is an environmental impact assessment required such as in the hon. Member's constituency, this timescale would be extended by a further eight weeks.
After a planning notification has been considered, depending upon the conclusion reached by the local planning authority, it would be a matter for the office of the Deputy Prime Minister whether there is an inquiry and what the format of any inquiry would be.

§ Mr. Luff
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long Wychavon District Council will have to consider the planning notification for the proposed asylum accommodation centre at Throckmorton after its receipt. [60292]

§ Beverley Hughes
In general, local planning authorities will have eight weeks to respond to a planning notification from the Home Office in line with the ordinary provisions contained within Circular 18/84. However, where there is an environmental impact assessment required such as in the hon. Member's constituency, this timescale will be extended by a further eight weeks.

§ John Barrett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reach a conclusion on the suitability of RAF Turnhouse as a site for an asylum seeker accommodation centre; what factors have prevented a decision being reached; and for what reasons the Killingholme and Hooton Park sites are no longer under consideration for such centres. [57332]

§ Beverley Hughes
Those sites still under consideration, including the Royal Air Force (RAF) Turnhouse, are currently being evaluated under a wide range of criteria. 797W We will reach a decision as soon as possible on the suitability of RAF Turnhouse. However, immediate priority will be given to the three sites for which it has been decided to submit planning notifications.
All prospective sites were evaluated under a wide range of criteria including size, configuration, location, technical characteristics and planning considerations. The sites at Killingholme and Hooton Park were found to be unsuitable.