Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre

David Linden Excerpts

Tuesday 6th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Nokes]

I think that I have been very clear this afternoon that, although we regard detention as a last resort, it is an important part of our suite of immigration policies. We use detention to enable us to remove people from this country, to make sure that those who might cause harm in our communities are kept away from society and on occasions when we are seeking to remove foreign national offenders as quickly as we can.

[David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)]

How many people in Yarl’s Wood are currently on suicide watch?

[Caroline Nokes]

We keep the welfare of detainees under very close supervision, and I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that a declining number of people are choosing to refuse food and fluid. Of course, where people have mental health issues or there are concerns about their health, it is absolutely right that we keep them under very close supervision.