Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 10 May (HL Deb, col 1924), whether unaccompanied children seeking asylum who are to be detained under the Illegal Migration Bill are to be placed in "age appropriate accommodation", where these age-appropriate accommodation will be; what services will be provided in them, and by whom, that make them age appropriate; who will be responsible for the children placed there in terms of  the duties in section 17 and 20 of the Children Act 1989; and who will have ultimate responsibility for running these accommodation.

The welfare of those who are detained is taken seriously. Where a decision is made to remove an unaccompanied child under 18, detention will be for the shortest possible time. The detention powers within the Bill can only be exercised to detain an unaccompanied child in specific circumstances that will be set out in regulations.

We will build upon our current detention facilities to ensure they provide appropriate, safe and secure accommodation. This includes working closely with the Department of Education and local authorities to ensure there are proper support provisions in detention for unaccompanied children.

The Home Secretary is responsible for all people in detention, including the day-to-day care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.