asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by Lord West of Spithead on 1 October (WA 259) and 14 November (WA 21), when members of the Border and Immigration Agency or of the Home Office last met face-to-face with Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID); and why joint letters from BID and the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association of August and October remain unanswered. [HL963]

The Border and Immigration Agency meets regularly with Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID). The last such meeting was on 29 November 2007 at the national asylum stakeholder forum, which is held bi-monthly.

Officials have been discussing with BID the information requested in its letter of August. That as well as the letter of October will be replied to very shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 26 November (WA 103), how many current detainees have been (a) in Haslar, and (b) in other immigration detention centres for more than 12 months; and how many of these have been in two, three or more detention centres. [HL1102]

The available information shows that on 20 December 2007, four detainees had been detained continuously for 12 months or more in Haslar. Of those, one had been detained only in Haslar, the remaining three had been detained in one other removal centre.

The following other immigration removal centres have held detainees continuously for 12 months or more:

Dover—12 (of whom seven have been detained in Dover only and five in one other removal centre);

Yarl’s Wood—three (of whom all have been detained in Yarl’s Wood only); and

Colnbrook—one who was previously detained in two other removal centres.

This information is based on internal management information, is provisional and subject to change, and as such is not published within official statistics.