---

Prisons

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) additional prisons and (b) additional prison places there were and what was their cost in each of the last five years; how many planned (i) additional prisons and (ii) additional prison places there are and what is their cost in the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [125322]

22 Jun 2000 : Column: 249W

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 9 June 2000]: The information requested is set out in the table.

	Number of new prisons provided in each of the last five years	Number of additional uncrowded prison places provided in each of the last five years(7)	Cost of additional places in each of the last five years (£ million)(14), (15)
1996-97	0	1,857	186
1997-98	4	4,635	211
1998-99	0	1,697	238
1999-2000	2	2,071	205
2000-01(10)	1	840	244

(7) The number of new places includes those at new prisons and places provided at existing prisons by building houseblocks and Ready To Use units. It is the total of new places and does not take into account places taken out of use, for example by the closure of Aldington.

(8) The total cost of new places includes new prisons provided under the Private Finance Initiative.

(9) This is an estimate of the total capital and current cost as the Prison Service does not record separately the running costs of added accommodation at existing prisons.

(10) The new prison in 2000-01 is called Rye Hill and will open in January 2001.

Note:

A new prison called Dovegate (800 places) is planned to open in July 2001. Plans for 2001-02 are currently being considered as part of the Spending Review 2000.

Global Cultural Diversity Congress

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the report to Creditors prepared by the liquidator of Global Cultural Diversity Congress 2000 Ltd. [127355]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Disclosure of the Report of the Creditors is a matter for the liquidators of Global Cultural Diversity Congress 2000 Ltd. and so it is not my decision to do so.

Immigration Detention Centres

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the planned capacity is of each of the proposed detention centres at Thurleigh, Harmondsworth and Aldington; what criteria will be used to allocate (a) asylum seekers and (b) other immigrants to these centres; and if he will make a statement. [127354]

Mrs. Roche: It is proposed that there will be 900 places for immigration detainees at the detention centre at Thurleigh, 550 at Harmondsworth and about 300 at Aldington. People are detained under powers set out in the Immigration Act 1971. Although many have claimed asylum at some time they will be detained because of their status as inadmissible passengers, illegal entrants or people subject to deportation. The primary criterion is whether the person is unlikely to comply with conditions of temporary admission or their removal directions. No particular criteria will attach to these three new centres. The allocation of immigration detainees into a particular centre is primarily dependent on the availability of space and the location of the place of initial detention.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria will be used to select the asylum seekers to be detained at Lindholme; what his

22 Jun 2000 : Column: 250W

target is for the average length of time for which an asylum seeker will remain at Lindholme; and if he will make a statement. [127356]

Mrs. Roche: Lindholme will be used as part of the detention estate, housing, principally, those immigration detainees apprehended in the North of England. The criteria for the use of Lindholme will be the same as for other centres. It will be for illegal entrants, inadmissible passengers and those subject to deportation who are detained under powers in the Immigration Act 1971. Many of these people have claimed asylum at some stage. Detention is used where it is believed a person is unlikely to comply with conditions of temporary admission or their removal directions.

There is no target for the average length of time for which a detainee will remain at Lindholme. Detention must be proportionate and for the minimum period necessary.

Equal Treatment Directive

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations attended his consultative meetings about the EC Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. [127352]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: In addition to the organisations that were listed in the reply I gave the hon. Gentleman on 8 June 2000, Official Report, columns 377-78W, the Government had consultative meetings with the following representatives of organisations:

1. Sushi Sharma (Brent Council, Community Safety Team)

2. Sofi Taylor (Greater Glasgow NHS Primary Care Trust)

3. Bob Purkiss (Transport and General Workers Union)

4. Pauline Granstan (Communication Workers Union)

5. Jacinta J. Barker (Black and Minority Ethnic Community Safety Forum)

6. Wali Tasar Uddin MBE (Commonwealth Society of Edinburgh)

7. Selma Rahman (Fife Racial Equality Council)

8. Sherry Peck (North Herts. Minority Ethnic Forum)

9. Priscilla Marongwe (Edinburgh and Lothians Racial Equality Council)

10. Farkhanda Chaudhry (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation)

11. Jimshid Ahmadi (North Shields Peoples Centre)

12. Anne Gaspard (United Kingdom Office of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia--EUMC)

13. Diya Muqit (Citizenship Foundation)

14. Khalil Kazi (United Kingdom Migrants Forum)

15. Claude Hendrickson (Youth Enquiry Service)

16. David Hey (Salfia Association, Dewsbury)

17. Ray Sefia (The Ceed Charity)

18. Mohinder Chatrik (Indian Workers' Association, Huddersfield)

19. John Creaby MBE (Tyne and Wear Racial Equality Council)

20. N. Khan Moghal (Manchester Council for Community Relations)

21. Bisi Akinwumi (Voluntary Organisation Internet Service)

22. Geremy Phillips (Manchester Trades Union Council)

23. Robert Cater (Race Equality First)

24. Patrick Yu (Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities)

22 Jun 2000 : Column: 251W

25. Paul Winstone (Leicester City Council)

26. Paul Auber (Chapelton Young Peoples 10-2 Club)

27. Lee Jasper (The 1990 Trust)

28. Harriette Campbell (African Caribbean Women's Association.)

29. Judith Woodward (National Assembly Against Racism)

30. Royana Meechan (Tribesnetribes)

31. Kazim Khan (Tze UK Incorporating the Race and Drugs Project)

32. Liaquat Ali (Council of British Pakistanis--Scotland)

33. Sheila Rogers (Equality Commission for Northern Ireland Racial Equality Directorate)

34. Dr. Jack Demaine (Loughborough University)

35. Kristin Couper (Universite de Paris 8)

36. Philip Mathew (Haringey Racial Equality Council)

37. Fred Ellis (Haringey Racial Equality Council)

38. Prof. Chris Mullard (Focus Consultancy)

39. Kalpana Desai (Kirlees Asian/Black Women's Association)

40. Mr. P. J. Smith (Labour Party)

41. Laure Tsobgny (Millennium Experience)

42. Mr. Akhtar Shah (Scottish Council for Minorities Rights)

43. Corall Jenkins (Unison)

44. Michelynn Lafleche (Runnymede Trust)

45. Baroness Sarah Ludford (European Parliament--EP Rep. to European and United Nations Conferences Against Racism)

46. Val Carpenter (National Coalition Building Institute)

47. Rajinder Sohpal (Reading Council for Racial Equality)

48. Jayne Done (Oldham Local Education Authority)

49. Alan Corbett (Milton Keynes Council)

50. Tara Mukherjee (European Multicultural Foundation)

51. Stephen Pittam (The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust)

52. Michael Head (European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance)

53. Julia Kaufmann (BBC Children in Need Appeal)

54. Jabeer Butt (Race Equality Unit)

55. Leandra Box (Race Equality Unit)

56. Dr. James Uhomoibhi (Multi Cultural Resource Centre, Northern Ireland)

57. Rita Patel (Belgrave Baheno Women's Organisation)

58. Karen Chouhan (Belgrave Baheno Women's Organisation)

59. Sue Errington (Devon and Exeter Racial Equality Council)

60. Mr. Lloyd Blake (African and Caribbean Peoples Movement)

61. Mr. Abdulaziz Toki (Asian Support Group European Union Migrants Forum)

62. N. Khan Moghal (Manchester Council for Community Relations)

63. Aisling Bryne (Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women's Centre)

64. Sheila Rogers (Equality Commission for N. Ireland Racial Equality Directorate)

65. Dr. Tony Langlois (Community Relations Council for Northern Ireland)

66. Gerry Gable (Anti-racist and Violent Crime Task Force)

67. Suzette Bronkhorst (I Care--Internet Centre, Anti-racism in Europe)

68. Samir Sharma (Central Scotland Racial Equality Council)

69. Mukami McCrum (Central Scotland Racial Equality Council)

70. Mrs. Bilquis Ahmed (Azeemia Foundation)

71. Margaret Donaghy (Traveller Movement N. Ireland)

72. Dave Hey (Salfia Association, Dewsbury)

73. Mr. Ahmad Fawzi (United Nations Information Centre)

22 Jun 2000 : Column: 252W

74. Namasiku Liandu (University of Abertay, Dundee)

75. Victor Momodu

76. Elizabeth Kayembe (Abantu--for Development)

77. Gay Moon (Justice)

78. Noel James (Law Society)

79. Asad Rehman

80. Julia Hausermann (Rights Humanity)

81. Mrs. Couper (University de Paris 8)

82. Sanjiv Verdi (Unison).

---