§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the net cost is in a full year of substituting contract and agency staff to undertake work in removal centres that previously was undertaken by detainees; from what budget the extra cost is taken; what proposals he has for giving financial incentives to detainees to assist in the running of removal centres; what factors he considered before deciding to prevent detainees from working; and if he will make a statement. [75422]
§ Beverley HughesImmigration detainees held in Immigration Service removal centres have never been required to work nor are they expected to assist in the running of the centres.
Following their redesignation earlier this year as removal centres, the prison service detention facilities at Dover, Haslar and Lindholme ceased to operate under Prison Rules. As a consequence, detainees no longer had 628W the opportunity to undertake paid employment in the centres and the practice of relying on such work for the provision of certain ancillary services came to an end. Work formerly undertaken by detainees at these centres has been contracted out or transferred to agency staff. For this year this has resulted in a net additional cost of £1.09 million. This will be met from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's budget.
Regimes in immigration removal centres provide detainees with a wide range of constructive activities based on education, crafts, physical education, religion and recreation. All activities are voluntary although detainees are encouraged to take part in them. Some centres provide a cash allowance, although not as an incentive to engage in activities, and we are considering standardising this and making it universal. While we are considering incentives and further ways to enhance activities available to detainees, we have no plans to require detainees to undertake paid work or to assist in the running of removal centres.