§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether annual reports of independent monitoring boards of detention and removal centres are published. [157444]
§ Mr. BrowneIndependent Monitoring Board annual reports are not published documents. They are made to the Secretary of State who permits the Board to publish their report if they wish, subject to allowing a period of notice to elapse before publication and the removal of any information which is confidential. Boards are, however, encouraged to publish their reports and the Chairs have indicated that most of the Boards intend to do so this year.
§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place for the investigation of allegations of assault made by immigration and asylum detainees against(a) members of staff of removal And detention centres, (b) escorts and (c) other detainees. [157448]
§ Mr. BrowneRule 48 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 provides for any complaint made against any member of staff at the removal centre to be investigated promptly by the contract monitor. If the complaint is against a member of the Immigration Service an investigation would be undertaken by the IS Complaints Unit. In all cases where a detainee alleges assault they would be asked if they wished to contact the police.
Where an allegation of assault is made against the escort this is referred to the police as the appropriate investigating authority. On completion of any police action, the allegation will also be investigated under the Immigration Service's internal complaints procedures with the relevant contract monitor conducting the investigation.
Allegations of assaults by one detainee on another detainee are always reported to the police for action.