§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to publish the review of the use of immigration detention in Northern Ireland, promised during the proceedings on the Immigration and Asylum Bill. [HL4449]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe review to which the noble Lord refers involves consideration by immigration officials in conjunction with colleagues in the Northern Ireland Prison Service as to the most appropriate place for the detention of Immigration Act Detainees who are encountered there. Everyone agrees that the current arrangements, where male detainees are accommodated with convicted prisoners are far from ideal.
The review has needed to take into account the needs of the detainees; their friends, relatives and representatives but the solution must also be cost 176WA effective. We will also consider the views expressed by the Northern Ireland Law Centre in its report on the detention of asylum seekers in Northern Ireland. Various meetings and discussions have taken place but there is still more work to do. We are expecting to reach a conclusion by the end of this year. However, the Government do not see any need to publish the details of the deliberations, but we will, of course, make known the intended course of action when this has been decided.