HL Deb 19 October 2000 vol 617 cc102-4WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What consultations they have undertaken on the draft rules for detention centres; and whether they will submit these rules to Parliament for comment before they are finalised. [HL4116]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

As my honourable friend the Minister of State for the Home Office (Mrs Roche) explained to you in her response to your letter dated 6 September 2000, a lengthy consultation process has accompanied the drafting of the Detention Centre Rules and the intention has been to consult as widely as possible. Among those involved have been the leading interested non-governmental organisations—for example, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Refugee Council, the Medical Foundation and the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees, along with a number of smaller groups. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, other government departments, the British Medical Association, Immigration Service staff, members of the Visiting Committees, and of course the contractors who currently run the establishments have also been consulted.

As I explained in the Answer I gave you on 9 October (Official Report, WA8), the Detention Centre Rules will be laid before Parliament after they have been "made". This is likely to be in the late autumn.

The procedure for this Statutory Instrument was debated and determined during the passage of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. The rules are subject to the ordinary negative resolution procedure and as such will not be submitted to Parliament in draft form prior to finalisation.