Campsfield House (Hansard, 22 October 2003)

§ Baroness Scotland of Asthal

Campsfield House opened as an immigration centre in November 1993 following its closure as a young offenders institution. In February 2002 the Home Secretary expressed concerns about the quality of the accommodation and it was concluded it should close. However Campsfield has proved invaluable in recent months in holding short-term detainees. Furthermore, during the refurbishment of Harmondsworth, its south-east location makes the establishment strategically important.

Consequently, and as part of a wider review of the removal estate, we have examined the possibility of maintaining Campsfield. We now propose to modernise and develop the centre, bringing the facilities up to an acceptable standard so as to maximise the capacity of the removals estate and retain a valuable resource.