New Clause 3 - Arrest pending deportation
Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill
1:00 pm
Evan Harris (Science, Non-Departmental & Cross Departmental Responsibilities; Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
I welcome that statement because I believe that Anne Owers, Her Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons, shares that concern, although I would not want to quote her directly. We had a meeting with her and a refugee group at which this very question was raised, and I am extremely grateful that specific proposals could be included in a Bill. If they could be included in this Bill, that would be beneficial, although I accept that it is a question of whether they would be in order, given the long title. However, I encourage the Minister to go down that path quickly because there have been a number of complaints, and it would be helpful to clarify whether they are justified through an independent body.