Anger at plan to expand asylum centre

The Scotsman has learnt that ministers are on the verge of closing a deal to build a major new extension at Dungavel, increasing its capacity by 25 per cent.

The government is in the final stages of negotiations with Premier Group, which manages the building, to construct a new 44-bed unit on the site.

The use of the Lanarkshire asylum centre to house asylum seekers, including children, while their final appeals are heard - before they are deported - has aroused fierce opposition from politicians, civil rights campaigners and members of the public who want to see it closed.

But, far from giving in to these demands, the government appears to have decided to push ahead with its plans to expand the centre to accommodate even more asylum seekers.

The government admitted three months ago that it was considering an expansion of the Dungavel centre but insisted at the time that it was just one of a number of options under consideration.

Now it has emerged, through a letter from Beverley Hughes, the Home Office minister, to Tory MP Peter Duncan, that the Home Office has not only pushed ahead with its plans, but they are close to completion.

Ms Hughes’ letter, which was sent on the final day of the parliamentary session at the end of last week, stated that the government had secured planning permission for the extension and was now sorting out the technical changes to the contract with Premier Group to conclude the deal.

She said: "We have planning approval to install a 44-bed ‘ready to use’ unit on the Dungavel site. Variations to the contract will be required to take account of the increase in population.

"Negotiations for the contract variation are ongoing."

The controversial centre near Strathaven, Lanarkshire, currently holds 150 men, women and children. The extension will add another block will bring the total capacity of the detention centre to almost 200.

Under the 3 million extension plans, pre-fabricated buildings with bars on the windows will be built.

Mr Duncan claimed Labour’s asylum policy was "failing and failing fast".

He said: "The timing is shocking but not surprising. It’s typical of this Labour administration to look for every opportunity to bury bad news on the last day of term and during the Christmas holiday.

"It gives the lie to Labour’s spin that they are solving the asylum problem. Rather than requiring less facilities, they are actually needing more, and more and more facilities and taxpayers will be asking the legitimate question - where is this going to stop?"

Annabelle Ewing, for the SNP, said: "This is a development in entirely the wrong direction at Dungavel and just as bad is the secretive system of decision-making."

And she added: "If the government is reduced to sneaking out information such as this in a letter on the very last day before the Christmas recess, this does suggest that ministers lack the confidence in their policy of jailing asylum seekers and innocent children at Dungavel in prison conditions."

Tommy Sheridan, of the Scottish Socialist Party, said: "What an appalling Christmas present from New Labour to Scotland. Dungavel is Scotland’s Guantanamo Bay. It should not be expanded, it should be closed."

A Home Office spokesman insisted that the final decision had still not be taken but he admitted that an some form of expansion at Dungavel would go ahead, with the 44-bed unit the most likely option.

He said the negotiations with Premier Group were taking place simply to ensure the government was in a position to make a decision.

"This is one of the options the Home Office has to expand Dungavel and work is ongoing to see how that can be done," he said. The extra space would be used to accommodate single males, not families, he said.

One of the most controversial features of the Lanarkshire detention centre is its use to keep children locked up with their parents.

The latest figures show that six children are in the centre and are expected to remain behind bars for Christmas.