§ Mr. Stephen TwiggTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received Sir Donald Acheson's Second Report on the Effects on Health of the Regimes in Special Secure Units; and if he intends to make the results public. [33456]
§ Ms QuinWe have now received Sir Donald Acheson's second report on the Special Secure Unit (SSU) at Whitemoor. His report acknowledges that significant progress has been made in implementing his previous recommendations. In particular, a series of regime improvements have been made, and a robust system of regular health reviews for all SSU prisoners has been introduced.
With regard to closed visits, the report accepts that the improved regime and atmosphere within the SSU is, at least in part, attributable to the confidence which closed visits give to staff. Accordingly, there is no call for a change to the visits policy.
710WI regret that a similar breakdown for those who arrived at these ports and subsequently submitted in-country asylum applications, is not available.
The report contains just one further recommendation, which we accept, about the involvement of an external consultant psychiatrist in the health review process.
A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.