Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to open an immigration removal centre for women on the site of the former Hassockfield Detention Centre in Medomsley; and what plans they have to expand the use of engagement-focused alternatives to detention to resolve women’s immigration centres in the community.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient capacity, in the right places and that it provides value for money.
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre for women by the autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority have taken place and work has commenced at the site. An Equality Impact Assessment will be completed as part of this programme of work.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
In order to meet operational needs and demands we will continue to operate the immigration removal estate in a flexible manner.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - North West Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
If he will commission an independent inquiry into the physical and sexual abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This is a highly emotive issue and I understand how difficult it must be for the survivors of abuse and their families.
These matters remain the subject of a criminal investigation and legal action in the civil courts. Therefore, it would be inappropriate at present to commission an inquiry.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date officials from her Department plan to contact or meet the steering group of solicitors dealing with cases arising from Operation Seabrook.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The Government Legal Department (GLD) is acting for the Ministry of Justice in relation to these cases. GLD is planning to meet the steering group committee next month, although the precise date for this meeting has yet to be finalised.