§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give details of the regime at the Harmondsworth detention centre; how many detainees the centre can accommodate; what has been the average period of residence per detainee over the past 12 months; and how many persons have been detained there during that period;
(2) what steps are taken to provide access to legal representation to detainees at the Harmondsworth detention centre.
§ Mr. WaddingtonHarmondsworth provides accommodation for both sexes and may also hold children. Detainees are in general free to go where they wish within the centre, and may spend their time as they choose. Television is provided, and there is a small open-air recreational area. Visiting is permitted daily. Public pay telephones are provided and may be used by detainees at any time. The centre is staffed by employees of Securicor Ltd, whose instructions are to treat all detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and understanding.
The centre has accommodation for 66 detainees. Three thousand three hundred and sixty eight persons were detained there in 1982. The average period for which they were held was less than two days.
Detainees may be visited by officers of the United Kingdom Immigration Advisory Service or by legal representatives at any time. Notices in the centre draw attention to the free services which are provided by UKIAS and give a telephone number through which they can be contacted.