Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking, Conservative)

On a point of order, Mr. Illsley. The Minister will recall several prolonged exchanges last Thursday about possible sites for accommodation centres. I asked whether a decision had been taken, and if so, whether it would be announced in the next two or three weeks. I told her that it was important that no decision be taken or announced until both Houses had passed the Bill. She said that the Government had not yet decided the sites. She said:

''We are considering which sites to submit planning applications for . . . An announcement on which sites we intend to submit planning notifications will be made soon, but no decision has been taken about individual sites''.—[Official Report, Standing Committee E, 9 May 2002; c. 165.]

I was keen that members of the Committee should be the first to know about the sites. I told her that she would understand that many of us would regard it as an affront to the parliamentary system if an announcement were made during the next week or two while the Bill was in Committee or in the other place. She said that there was nothing more she could tell us and used the word ''soon''.

We were therefore surprised to read in The Independent on Sunday that:

''Ministers are to build one of three ''villages'' for asylum-seekers on a site where thousands of foot-and-mouth carcasses were buried.''

It said that a location at Throckmorton airfield in Worcestershire

''was chosen from a shortlist of eight.''

There was also an article in the Sunday Express. It seems to my hon. Friends and me that the Minister should have told us if she knew last Thursday that planning applications would be made for particular sites. The question arises whether she failed to tell us about something that she was aware of then. Is an announcement due to be made today in parliamentary questions? If so, it would have been courteous to tell us days ago when the information was available.

Would it not be proper for the Minister to let the Committee know the up-to-date position and, if necessary—it is a matter for her to decide—to apologise if she failed to tell us last Thursday something that she knew then? If she did not, that is the end of the matter. If she did, it would help us to know why the Committee was not the first to be informed. Eight sites are mentioned on the internet, including Pershore, Worcestershire; land vacated at Bicester, Oxfordshire; and RAF Newton at West Bridgeford, Nottinghamshire. Are those the three sites proposed for planning applications?

Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central, Labour)

I call Angela Eagle.

Ms Angela Eagle (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Wallasey, Labour)

I am happy to respond and would have done so in timely fashion this afternoon in the Chamber at 3.30 pm. The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that letters were to be sent to members of the Committee to make the parliamentary answer available simultaneously at 3.30. As he pointed out, however, the information was leaked in the media this morning, so I shall place the information before the Committee ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary answer. I should also stress that no decision to proceed on any site has been taken. As I said on Thursday, that will not happen before Royal Assent.

Here is the announcement to be made to Parliament at 3.30 pm. The question is:

''To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to announce the sites on which he will seek planning permission for Accommodation Centres?''.

The answer is:

''We will be submitting planning notifications in respect of DSDC Bicester, RAF Newton and QinetiQ Pershore as soon as possible. The notifications will be submitted using the ordinary procedure of Circular 18/84. Consultation with the relevant local authorities will continue, including public meetings.

Further work is required on the sites at Air West Edinburgh, Sully Hospital (Glamorgan) and Hemswell Cliff (Lincolnshire) before a decision can be taken on whether to proceed to planning notifications.

The sites at Hooton Park (Ellesmere Port) and Killingholme (North Lincolnshire) are considered to be unsuitable for the siting of Accommodation Centres. No planning notifications will be submitted in respect of those sites.

Site searching has continued since we made our initial announcement, as we said it would. In addition to the sites we have identified ourselves, a number have been put forward by potential bidders. We will not be putting into the public domain details of such sites unless and until they are considered to be a serious prospect for the siting of an Accommodation Centre.''

Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking, Conservative)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Illsley. I am grateful to the Minister, but will she answer these specific questions? When was that question tabled?

Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central, Labour)

Technically, that is not a point of order for the Chair. Any further questions arising from the Minister's statement to the Committee must continue through debate. The information given by Ministers to Committees does not constitute a point of order. It is inappropriate for the hon. Gentleman to continue questions on that basis.

Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking, Conservative)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Illsley. I perfectly understand your ruling, but is it appropriate for you to ask the Minister whether her comment last Thursday that she was considering which sites to submit planning applications for was wholly accurate, or whether a decision had already been taken? Will you direct her to respond, because the Committee may have been kept inadvertently in the dark and a decision already taken even though she said that it had not?

Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central, Labour)

It is not within my power to direct the Minister to provide the information that the hon. Gentleman seeks, though I am sure that she has heard what he said and some of the issues may be cleared up later today or in future proceedings.