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Asylum Seekers
13. Mr. Corbyn: What is his latest estimate of the number of asylum seekers held in custody under the Immigration Acts. [11669]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: As at 30 September 1997, the most recent date for which information is available, 772 persons who had sought asylum at some stage were recorded as being detained solely under Immigration Act powers. As I have already stated, we announced a review of detention policy before the recess.
Mr. Corbyn: I thank my hon. Friend for his reply. When he undertakes the review of the policy of internment of asylum seekers, will he bear it in mind that many of those who have been detained for many months have a deep sense of injustice? They have fled from oppressive societies where they have lived in great fear and have often suffered racist attacks, only to arrive in this country and find themselves in custody for several months. Does my hon. Friend recognise that that is an abuse of their rights? We should not have a routine policy of imprisonment--no other European country does. The measure should be used only in the most extreme circumstances and we should not keep more than 700 people in custody.
Mr. O'Brien: I do not accept what my hon. Friend says. There is no routine detention of persons. I would not accept that, and I am sure that the Government would not accept it. People are not detained merely because they are seeking asylum; other factors will always have a bearing on the likelihood of people complying with the conditions of temporary admission which determine the need for detention. At any one time, only about 1.5 per cent. of those who may have sought asylum are actually detained.
Mr. Brooke: Is the Minister contemplating an increase in the amount of provision in detention centres in order to reduce the pressure on prisons?
Mr. O'Brien: That is one of the issues that we shall have to examine as part of the review of detention. It is obviously preferable, where possible, to detain people under immigration powers in detention centres rather than in prisons but, given the numbers and pressures and the nature of some detainees who have been unable to adapt themselves to the more relaxed regime in detention centres, we sometimes have to use prisons.
Dr. Harris: Detaining up to 500 asylum seekers in prison establishments costs up to £20 million to £30 million a year. Does the Minister agree that that money could be better spent on providing prison places for the criminals who are currently in overcrowded prisons? Given that, at my suggestion, Sir David Ramsbotham has visited Campsfield House in my constituency, and given the critical report on Rochester prison and the likely critical report on Tinsley House,
how many critical reports will the Minister have to receive before he ends the barbaric practice of using prisons? The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the Government's ethical foreign policy. How long do we have to wait for an ethical Home Office policy?
Mr. O'Brien: Presumably, the hon. Gentleman is saying that nobody should be held in detention. I was interested to hear that he asked Sir David Ramsbotham to act--probably before the hon. Gentleman did, I asked Sir David Ramsbotham to act. He conducted an inspection of Campsfield House at my request; he has briefed me on the result of his inquiries and will shortly be letting me have a full and detailed report of the situation. It is necessary to examine the way in which we use detention, and we are doing that. The prospects of releasing everybody are extremely unlikely. We need to use detention in certain cases. We want to apply a firm immigration policy; that is the Government's policy and that is what we shall deliver.
Sir Brian Mawhinney: I share the Minister's view that documentation is an important part of determining whether asylum seekers should be permitted to remain in this country, but may I take him back to the broader issue of border controls? I shall ask a question that the Home Secretary either did not know the answer to or would not come clean to the House about. Will the hon. Gentleman, who has direct responsibility for these matters, confirm that the terms of reference of the spending review made it legitimate for civil servants to produce the sort of proposals outlined in today's edition of The Guardian?
Mr. O'Brien: I make it clear that the Government will maintain firm immigration controls. Nothing will be done that undermines our ability to enforce firm immigration controls. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister secured our legal right to do that at Amsterdam, which is something the previous Government singularly failed to achieve. We shall maintain the enforceability of immigration controls. The document to which the right hon. Gentleman refers would appear to be merely a think piece--a summary of the views of some officials. Our determination and our commitments are clear: those commitments will be delivered. The people of Britain have voted for them and the people of Britain will get them.
Air Rifles
14. Mr. Hinchliffe: If he will review the licensing arrangements for the use of air rifles. [11670]
Mr. Michael: No firearms certificate is required at present to possess or use an air weapon unless it exceeds the statutory maximum power levels. There are, however, restrictions on purchase, possession and use, particularly by young people. Hon. Members will understand that we have concentrated on the Firearms (Amendment) Bill in order to ban private ownership of .22 pistols and to fulfil an election commitment with that measure. When that legislation has been dealt with, we shall consider carefully whether further restrictions are necessary, as part of a wider look at what other firearm controls may be needed to safeguard the public.
Mr. Hinchliffe: Does my hon. Friend accept that air weapons are increasingly responsible for injury to,
and destruction of, wildlife to an alarming degree? Is it not a fact that children and young persons are increasingly responsible for the problems caused by the misuse of air weapons? I urge my hon. Friend to consider, as a matter of urgency, increasing the restrictions on ownership and use of air weapons. Will he consider banning them completely?
Mr. Michael: As I have said, we shall consider what is needed--particularly for the protection of the public--after the present legislation has been dealt with. On my hon. Friend's specific question, killing or injuring any bird or protected animal carries a fine of up to £5,000. Especially powerful air weapons--that is, rifles with a muzzle energy of more than 12 ft per pound and air pistols with a muzzle energy of more than 6 ft per pound--must be kept on a firearms certificate. Persons under 14 years of age may not be in possession of an air weapon unless as a member of an approved club, in a shooting gallery or under the supervision of a person over the age of 21. Purchase by persons under 17 is not permitted, nor is possession in a public place. There are laws in place regulating matters relevant to my hon. Friend's point, but I shall be happy to look at any evidence that he or others bring forward when we consider those issues further, in due course.
Criminal Justice (Voluntary Organisations)
15. Mr. Letwin: What meetings he and his colleagues have held with voluntary organisations concerned with the administration of justice and the treatment of offenders in the Home Office since 1 May; and if he will make a statement. [11671]
Mr. Michael: Since 1 May, my colleagues and I have held 10 such meetings in the Home Office. We have also attended a number of events outside the Home Office at the invitation of voluntary organisations concerned with the administration of justice and the treatment of offenders.
Mr. Letwin: Does the Minister accept the previous Government's extraordinary record in encouraging voluntary organisations in that sector? Does he have any proposals to improve on the measures that have already been taken?
Mr. Michael: I certainly agree that the measures taken by the previous Government were extraordinary, but voluntary organisations concerned with the administration of justice and the treatment of offenders feel that a great weight has been lifted from their shoulders. We are receiving a great deal of co-operation and enthusiasm from them in our measures to deal with crime and the problems arising from crime.
Mr. O'Hara: Does my hon. Friend the Minister agree that the voluntary sector has an enormously important contribution to make to the implementation of important Government policies, not least in winning back our communities? Will he therefore express my personal appreciation that responsibility for the voluntary sector and volunteering has now returned to the Home Office and to Labour Home Office Ministers who have an
appreciation and understanding of that important role, as was most certainly not the case under the previous Government?
Mr. Michael: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his remarks. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary welcomed the return of the voluntary and community unit to the Home Office and there is a great deal of enthusiasm on the part of Ministers for cementing the essential partnership between the voluntary sector and Government.
Mr. Beith: Will Ministers be meeting one of those organisations, the Howard League, to discuss the report that it published today? The report reveals the trebling of the number of teenage girls held in adult prisons, where they are subject to many risks and not provided with adequate rehabilitation. That is especially troubling when many of them are first offenders and could not be described as regular or hardened criminals.
Mr. Michael: We do meet the Howard League regularly and recently I spoke at its conference. The report is interesting. The Howard League takes a particular view on those matters--one that we discuss with it regularly.
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