§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the detention centres at Harmondsworth and at Gatwick are manned by employees of Securicor; what disciplines they impose on detainees; whether these disciplines are laid down by the Home Office; and to whom Securicor are responsible.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe answer to the first part of this Question is "Yes".
Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with 293W humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.