HC Deb 13 May 1987 vol 116 c183W
Mr. Dubs

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what access will be made available to legal advisers to persons detained on the Earl William;

(2) what exercise facilities will be made available for persons detained on the Earl William;

(3) what is the estimated cost of (a) acquiring and (b) refitting the Earl William.

Mr. Waddington

All reasonable requests for access to persons detained on the Earl William by legal advisers, friends and relations will be met. There are good facilities on board for interviews to take place. There are adequate exercise facilities on board. The cost of hiring the vessel is the subject of a commercial contract, the details of which it would not be proper to reveal.

Mr. Madden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much the ferry Earl William is costing to hire; how long will it be moored at Harwich; what regulations it is subject to; how many and what categories of detainees will be detained there; what will be the total weekly cost of keeping detainees on the ferry; and if he will make a statement;

(2) from which detention centres those detainees to be detained on the ferry, the Earl William moored at Harwich, are to be transferred; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waddington

[pursuant to his reply, 8 May 1987, c. 549]: The cost of hiring the MV Earl William is the subject of a commercial contract with its owners, the details of which it would not be proper to reveal. It has been hired initially for a period of three months, during which it will be moored at Harwich. It will be subject to standard safety and fire regulations and those concerning the way detainees are housed will be the same as other Immigration Service detention centres. The ship is expected to he used principally for passengers awaiting removal or further examination whose cases are not appropriate for temporary admission. The number will depend on the pressure on this and other immigration service detention centres and the continued availability of prison department resources. The total weekly cost of keeping detainees on board will also depend on the number detained.