HL Deb 13 January 1997 vol 577 cc12-3WA
The Earl of Sandwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the annual cost of Immigration Act detention centres in the United Kingdom such as Campsfield House, near Oxford; and what is the total number of detainees held and the average length of stay at these centres.

Baroness Blatch:

The Immigration Service detention estate has space for some 515 detainees. The cost of detaining persons in these centres in the financial year 1995-96 was some £12.2 million. This figure includes the cost of administrative support from headquarters.

Information on the average length of stay at immigration detention centres is not readily available.

The Earl of Sandwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether health services at detention centres such as Campsfield House are under the jurisdiction of Group 4 rather than the local area health authority; and whether routine medical examinations and psychiatric services have until now been provided to detainees.

Baroness Blatch:

The provision of medical services at immigration detention centres is the responsibility of the Home Office, not local area health authorities. These services are provided under contract, either with the Home Office direct or, in the case of Campsfield House and Tinsley House, with the private contractors managing the centres.

All immigration detainees are encouraged to have a medical examination on arrival at detention centres. Medical facilities are in keeping with those provided by a general practitioner. Where necessary, detainees can be taken to an outside hospital for psychiatric or other medical treatment.

The Earl of Sandwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether as recently reported, four out of five detainees in centres such as Campsfield House are held without charge in continuous detention, and if so, whether this contravenes the UN Convention on Refugees and is contrary to the practice of other EU countries.

Baroness Blatch:

The United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees does not preclude the detention of asylum seekers. All detainees in immigration detention centres are detained under powers contained in Schedules 2 and 3 to the Immigration Act 1971. These powers are used very sparingly and detention is reviewed regularly. Practice in other European Union countries is a matter for them.