§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers and dependants are being held at Oakington Detention Centre; [117099]
(2) how many asylum seekers have been held at Oakington Detention Centre since it opened; and in how many of those cases the initial decision on an application was made during the asylum seeker's stay at Oakington. [117248]
§ Mrs. RocheAs of midnight on 30 March, 47 asylum applicants had been detained at Oakington Reception Centre since it opened. Of these, 21 have so far received a decision on their claim while at Oakington and the remainder are at various stages of consideration. 24 applicants, but no dependants, were detained at midnight on 30 March.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on allowing detainees at Oakington temporarily to leave the centre. [117100]
§ Mrs. RocheThe purpose of Oakington is to deal with straightforward asylum claims in about seven days. If a decision cannot be taken within this period, the applicant will either be transferred to an ordinary detention centre or given temporary admission. As the process for consideration of the asylum claim will be very intensive, applicants will not be allowed to leave the site unless absolutely necessary, for example to attend a hospital out patient appointment.
378Wissued shortly. Projects on domestic violence within the violence against women initiative of the Crime Reduction Programme will be funded from June.