§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have introduced a legal requirement for providing detailed written reasons for the detention of asylum seekers; and if not, when they will do so. [HL3534]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonSince October 1999 it has been our administrative practice to serve all persons detained under Immigration Act powers, whether or not they are asylum seekers, with a form of notice (the IS91R ) giving written reasons for their detention. Reasons are given by way of a checklist. This honours a commitment given in theFairer, Faster and Firmer White Paper. We are currently considering whether a requirement to give written reasons should be included in rules (which are to be made under Section 153 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999) for the management of detention centres.
Following concern expressed by the noble Earl and others at Third Reading of the Bill which became the 1999 Act, we undertook to review the IS91R form. That review is now nearing completion and our aim is to introduce a revised IS91R this October. Though I cannot pledge that we shall be able to satisfy them in every particular, we are confident that the revised form of notice will go some way towards meeting the concerns which have been expressed by noble Lords and others about the existing form.