Clause 14 - Establishment of centres
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill
10:45 am
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow, Labour)
I cannot support the amendment because it would require that the Bill should specify a certain number. However, I understand the points that were made, as I raised the matter myself on Second Reading. The size of a centre is critical, because from that flow issues such as the exclusion of children in the centres from mainstream education, which we will consider in this part of the Bill. A local school system will not easily be able to accommodate the significant number of children from large centres.
We must consider where people are accommodated now, and bear in mind the fact that the dispersal system is beginning to work well in some parts of the country. Asylum seekers are already placed in hostels, hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation with 50, 100 or even 200 people in one place. Should we not consider what services we can provide to those people? It was suggested that accommodation centres with 750 people would need services on site, to ensure that people have access to medical and legal advice and support. There is also a reporting requirement. Although the Bill does not mention legal advice, the Minister said that it should be available. Such services are beginning to work well in some sites in dispersal areas.
I share some of the concerns raised by the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) about the impact on an area of an accommodation centre for 750 people. If those centres are in rural or, at best, semi-urban areas, they will have a significant impact, whether we like it or not. We will later discuss the impact on children in the accommodation centres.
I am worried about the attitude of people when they suddenly discover that they have a centre in their area which accommodates 600 or 700 young, single men without much to do. Like it or not, that issue will arise and it needs to be faced.