Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to change their revised definition of torture issued on 12 September, in the light of position statement PS07/16 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists on the definition of torture in the context of immigration detention policy, issued in December.

Following a court order dated 2 December 2016 in the case of R (on the application of Medical Justice) v the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in respect of the Home Office policy on adults at risk in immigration detention, the Home Office has reverted to the pre-12 September definition of torture in the context of immigration detention, until the Court reaches its final judgment in the case. As court proceedings are ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on the statement from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.