Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many places are currently available for immigration detainees; how many such places are currently occupied; what assessment she has made of the effect of fraud in English language tests on the number of immigration detainee places needed; and if she will make a statement.

As of August 2014, the Home Office has the capacity to detain 3690 immigration detainees in the immigration detention estate. On 18 August 2014, 2941 of the 3690 spaces were occupied.

In addition to this Home Office Immigration Enforcement and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which provides for immigration detainees to be held in prisons. As of the week beginning 18 August 2014 794 immigration detainees were held in prison, of which 214 were held in HMP Verne.

Capacity and use of the detention estate is reviewed regularly at a strategic level to allow Immigration Enforcement to plan operational activity. The Educational Testing Services operations followed this process, which included the use of detention alongside other activity to address any abuse or criminality.

As stated to the House on 24 June, the Home Office will provide regular updates to the House on the ETS-related activity. These updates will be provided as part of the regular publication of data on the department’s work on borders and immigration.