§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made, and by whom, on the quality and the variation of food served to people being held in the Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre. [20619]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Harmondsworth Detention Centre is managed under contract to the Home Office by Group 4 Total Security Ltd., and meals are prepared for detainees by contract caterers.
The Area catering advisor of the Prison Service Catering Services is contracted to visit the centre regularly in order to survey the consumer dietary preferences, to review the menu cycle, and to examine the food budget balance. The contract caterers respond to comments from the adviser and monitor the "take up" rate of the menus offered, so as to be able to amend the meals and menus appropriately.
The centre is also regularly inspected for food hygiene by the Environmental Health Officer of the London Borough of Hillingdon in accordance with the Food Safety Act 1990.
Group 4's local managers check daily that meals prepared are within the "use by" date, and also sample the meals on a random basis and in response to any complaints. Meals are also regularly sampled by members of the Harmondsworth Visiting Committee, an independent body appointed by the Home Secretary to monitor the care and treatment of detainees. Immigration Service staff also occasionally sample meals.