Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of asylum-seeking women held in detention in the UK have received treatment for their mental health in 2021.

The Home Office does not hold this information centrally. Healthcare services in all immigration removal centres (IRCs) in England are commissioned by NHS England. At Dungavel IRC in Scotland, and Larne House Short Term Holding Facility in Northern Ireland, healthcare is commissioned by the service providers.

We take the health and welfare of those detained in our care very seriously, and all individuals who are detained have access to medical care, whether they are seeking asylum or not. All detained individuals entering an IRC receive a healthcare screening within two hours of their arrival, which identifies any immediate or long-term healthcare risks. Unless they decline, individuals in IRCs are given an appointment with a doctor within 24 hours. Clinical pathways into other healthcare services are initiated at this point depending on the outcomes of the reception screen, including into mental health services. Furthermore, all centres have mental health in-reach services available.

Additionally, all IRC staff employed by our commercial suppliers are trained to recognise vulnerability, including mental health issues.