Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the High Court Judgment of 10 October 2017, Medical Justice v. Secretary of State, what steps her Department is taking to review the guidance in respect of torture; and with which organisations her Department has consulted on that guidance.

The Government laid draft revised statutory guidance before Parliament on 21 March 2018, and the corresponding statutory instruments on 27 March, to implement a new definition of torture for the purposes of immigration detention. The new definition of torture and the revised statutory guidance give effect to the High Court judgment to which the hon. Member refers. Whilst there was no obligation to consult on these changes, officials have engaged with interested stakeholders, including a range of non-Governmental organisations (NGOs) and inspectorate bodies. Officials will continue this engagement on the corresponding caseworker guidance and training. Additionally, the Detention Centre Rules 2001 will be reviewed later this year and NGOs and others will be consulted on proposed changes to them. Home Office Ministers have also written to a number of hon. Members and Peers about these issues.