To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to receive the independent review of the welfare of detainees in immigration removal centres; and whether they plan to publish that review.
Answered on
30 June 2015
The Home Office has been working closely with Serco, the supplier at Yarl’s Wood, to address the matters raised by Channel 4 News.
They have demonstrated their shared commitment to ensuring the dignity and welfare of detainees at the centre with the action they have taken to address the concerns raised in the programme and have made good progress in delivering against our agreed action plan. Serco have commissioned their own independent review of the culture and staffing at Yarl’s Wood led by Kate Lampard, which is expected to report in the autumn.
The welfare in detention review, commissioned by the Home Secretary in February 2015, which is being led by Stephen Shaw, former prisons and probation ombudsman, is expected to report in September. The review has been asked to prioritise an assessment of conditions at Yarl’s Wood within the broader review of detention performance and policies. Ministers will publish the report by laying it before Parliament, alongside the Government’s response to the recommendations.