Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle abuse in immigration detention centres.

We expect all suppliers operating on behalf of the Home Office to treat detained individuals with decency and respect, behaving in line with the high standards outlined in the Detention Centre Rules, published operating standards and service delivery contracts.

A range of safety and security safeguards operate in all IRCs to ensure the safety of all detained individuals, staff and visitors.

The Home Office is reviewing current processes in relation to violence prevention and use of force and have introduced a programme focused on improving the overall culture in IRCs. A new staffing model delivers a considerably improved ratio of custodial staff per detained individual. This is tailored to each centre’s requirements and layout, deploying staff where they are most needed as they support detained individuals in their journey through detention.