Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reopen Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre, and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is proceeding with plans to open two refurbished IRCs on the sites of the former Campsfield House IRC at Kidlington in Oxfordshire, and the former Haslar IRC in Gosport, Hampshire. Both sites will be a mixture of refurbished and new-build accommodation, built to the latest standards, and, once open, will provide safe, secure and fit for purpose accommodation.
Like other IRCs, both IRCs will house a mixture of time-served Foreign National Offenders and immigration offenders awaiting removal from the UK, in line with the Government’s priority to increase returns. The sites will be secure facilities, with a range of on-site services (including recreation, faith and medical services) available.
We are committed to ensuring the proper protection and treatment of vulnerable people in detention and in developing plans for the new sites, we will be taking concerns raised by inspection and monitoring bodies into account including the key findings made by the Brook House Inquiry. The Home Office has strengthened its capacity to provide assurance and oversight of services across the detention estate. This includes action to refresh and reinforce whistleblowing arrangements; improving information flows; and analysis of complaints, incidents, and use of force.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reopen Haslar Immigration Removal Centre, and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is proceeding with plans to open two refurbished IRCs on the sites of the former Campsfield House IRC at Kidlington in Oxfordshire, and the former Haslar IRC in Gosport, Hampshire. Both sites will be a mixture of refurbished and new-build accommodation, built to the latest standards, and, once open, will provide safe, secure and fit for purpose accommodation.
Like other IRCs, both IRCs will house a mixture of time-served Foreign National Offenders and immigration offenders awaiting removal from the UK, in line with the Government’s priority to increase returns. The sites will be secure facilities, with a range of on-site services (including recreation, faith and medical services) available.
We are committed to ensuring the proper protection and treatment of vulnerable people in detention and in developing plans for the new sites, we will be taking concerns raised by inspection and monitoring bodies into account including the key findings made by the Brook House Inquiry. The Home Office has strengthened its capacity to provide assurance and oversight of services across the detention estate. This includes action to refresh and reinforce whistleblowing arrangements; improving information flows; and analysis of complaints, incidents, and use of force.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to extend the 28-day move-on period for asylum seekers who have been given the right to remain in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is aware of the need for a smooth exit from asylum accommodation for those asylum seekers who are granted leave to remain, so those individuals can support themselves through employment. We continue to work closely with local government and employment partners, including MHCLG and DWP, on this process.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing asylum support payments.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has a legal obligation to meet the essential living needs of destitute asylum seekers. Support is usually provided in the form of accommodation and a weekly allowance. The level of the allowance is reviewed each year to ensure it covers an asylum seeker’s “essential living needs”.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to respond to the report on an unannounced inspection of Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, published on 9 July.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office takes the health, welfare and safety of people in our care very seriously and it is vital that detention and removals are carried out with dignity and respect.
We are concerned by some of the findings in His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons’ (HMIP’s) report and recognise that standards need to improve across immigration detention facilities. We are committed to taking robust steps informed by these inspection findings.
A detailed service improvement plan setting out the Government’s response to the report has been published on HMIP’s website and implementation of those actions, and overall conditions at Harmondsworth, will be monitored closely to ensure that standards improve.
Further details can be found here: Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre – HM Inspectorate of Prisons (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk).
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue the use of large-scale asylum accommodation centres, including (1) RAF Scampton, and (2) MDP Wethersfield.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly; and ensures that the rules are properly enforced.
The Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to review and respond to the recommendations of the Brook House Inquiry report, published on 19 September 2023.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The abuse that took place at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in 2017 was unacceptable and this government is committed to ensuring that it will never happen again.
The previous government published its response to the Brook House Inquiry on 19 March 2024 and can be found here: Government response to the Brook House Inquiry report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
A cross governmental working group continues to meet monthly to monitor progress against accepted recommendations and drive forward implementation.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their press release on 1 May stating that detention capacity had been increased to more than 2,200 spaces for those being removed to Rwanda, how many additional detention spaces have been created for this purpose and where they are located.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Home Office currently operates seven immigration removal centres (IRCs) throughout the UK
As of 24 April the Home Office has the capacity to detain around 2,200 people in IRCs, including those liable for removal to Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people were given entry clearance to the UK in the last recorded 12-month period on the basis of (1) family life as a partner or parent, or (2) exceptional circumstances in compliance with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The number of applications for entry clearance to the UK that are made on the basis of family life as a partner or parent and any exceptional circumstances in compliance with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights does not form part of any current transparency data or migration statistics and is not published.
The published online transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their press release on 1 May stating that individuals are to be detained for removal to Rwanda in the next nine to 11 weeks, how many such individuals they anticipate will be granted immigration bail in the interim.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
As all detention decisions are particular to the individual concerned it would be inappropriate to predict the extent of any related future activity.
The government has repeatedly stated that it will not be providing a running commentary on the removals process.