§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what written representations have been made to him in the last three months concerning staffing levels and staff training at Yarl's Wood; and if he will place copies to the Library. [38669]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 28 February 2002]: Oral representations were made to my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary during his visit to Yarl's Wood removal centre on 18 March 2002. The issues of staff levels and staff training at Yarl's Wood will naturally be amongst those covered by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate inquiry into the incident.
§ Mr. LeighTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the Asylum Seeker Accommodation Centre proposed for Hemswell Cliff will require a staff of between 200 and 300; from where they will be recruited; and what training they will receive; [44648]
(2) what training employees of accommodation centres will receive and at what estimated annual cost; [44645]
(3) what assessment has been made of the need for additional public transport if the Hemswell Cliff development proceeds; [44647]
(4) what consultation with the local health authorities takes place before an accommodation centre is established; [44646]
890W(5) what the estimated annual running cost of the proposed Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centre at Hemswell Cliff is; [44649]
(6) what steps he is taking to ensure that all member states of the European Union meet the provisions of the Geneva Convention relating to asylum seekers; [44599]
(7) if additional funding will be given to Lincolnshire Police if an Accommodation Centre for Asylum Seekers is built at Hemswell Cliff; [44644]
(8) what the annual budget of the National Asylum Support Service in the last financial year was; and the estimated budget for the current financial year; [44641]
(9) what consultations have taken place to ensure that no further strains will be put on the provision of dental services in Lincolnshire if an asylum seekers' accommodation centre is built at Hemswell Cliff. [44598]
§ Angela EagleIt is estimated that an accommodation centre with around 750 residents would require between 200 and 300 staff. These are likely to include a mixture of locally recruited staff, together with some who transfer from elsewhere in the country. Staff training, and its cost, will be a matter for the contractors selected to run the sites.
Transport implications will form a part of the planning process for the trial Accommodation Centres. We will provide for transport for residents where necessary.
We will consult local service providers as part of the planning process. Department of Health officials will act as the initial conduit between the Home Office and the National Health Service (NHS) in respect of accommodation centres once the sites have been selected.
This is a matter for contractors who will run the centres. Bids to operate Accommodation Centres have not yet been invited.
I am satisfied that in most respects our European partners are already meeting the quite broadly defined provision of the Geneva Convention. However, it is true that there are differences in the way the Geneva Convention is interpreted and there are variations in asylum practice among Member States. This is why the United Kingdom (UK) government has committed itself to helping establish a common European asylum system, which can respond effectively to the challenge that global movements of people present and help limit unwarranted secondary movement of asylum seekers between European Union (EU) states.
The Government has opted in to all the European asylum proposals to date and in doing so continues to exert maximum influence during negotiations. Of particular significance in reaching consensus on a common application of the Geneva Convention is the proposal for a Council Directive on minimum standards for the qualification and status of refugees, presented by the European Commission in November 2001. One of the key aims of this draft directive is to establish a common interpretation of Article 1A of the Geneva Convention, the grounds for refugee status. The definition of prosecution adopted by the Commission reflects the current UK position.
891WHemswell Cliff is just one of a number of places that are being considered as a possible suitable site for an Accommodation Centre for Asylum Seekers. A final decision has not yet been taken. We have no plans to vary police grant in areas where asylum facilities may be located.
The budget for National Asylum Support Services (NASS) in 2000–01 was £38* million. This figure includes grants totalling £22 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees.
Total spending on asylum support in the year 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 was £751 million*. This includes grant payments of £580 million* to local authorities and the Scottish Executive for provision of accommodation and support for asylum seeking adults and families under the Interim Regulations and for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). A further £12 million* was paid to local authorities and the Scottish Executive directly by NASS under contracts to provide accommodation and related services for dispersed asylum seekers.
£46 million* was paid directly by NASS to private sector accommodation providers for the provision of accommodation and related services to dispersed asylum seekers.
The budget for the current financial year, 2001–02, is £36 million*. This figure includes grants totalling £18.1 million* to the voluntary sector for the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees.
The budget for asylum support for 2001–02 is £1,094 million*.
No consultations have taken place on the provision of dental services in Lincolnshire in relation to the potential site at Hemswell Cliff. Health care will be provided at Accommodation Centres and we will consider how best dental services can be provided in consultation with the Department of Health.
* All figures rounded to nearest £ million.
§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidelines he has issued on the establishment of centres housing asylum seekers in remote rural areas; [45163]
(2) if he will make a statement on the security criteria for centres housing asylum seekers in remote rural areas. [45166]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 25 March 2002]: No guidelines have been issued. Home Office officials are currently looking at a number of potential sites, but no decisions have yet been taken. A wide range of factors, including transport, environmental, and health and safety issues, will be taken into account before the final site selection is made.
In making final decisions on preferred sites, we will take all the relevant factors into account including security, to which the hon. Member refers. These assessments have not yet been made.