Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Lord Ramsbotham Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd March 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Avebury (LD)]

My Lords—

[Lord Ramsbotham (CB)]

My Lords—

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

It is the Cross Benches next, and then if there is time, the government Benches.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Ramsbotham]

When I was Chief Inspector 15 years ago, there was something wrong and rotten in the culture at Yarl’s Wood. I remember looking into it then and strongly recommending that the Home Office install a regular system of oversight of what was going on, no matter who was carrying out the contract. I understand that system of oversight still does not exist, and we still have complaints about Yarl’s Wood. When is that oversight going to be installed?

[Lord Bates]

I will look again at what the noble Lord said at that point. There is of course the independent monitoring board, which is headed by Mary Coussey, a former Independent Race Monitor. The immigration monitoring board has the keys to Yarl’s Wood and can go in and out at any point in time. Obviously, it will need to look very carefully at how it has undertaken its responsibilities, and the conclusions which it has drawn from its activities.