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Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 6 May 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 20 May 2025. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 May 2025 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum: Women

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the finding in Women for Refugee Women's report that 71 per cent of women were under supervision by male staff despite the requirement under the Detention Services Order 06/2016 that detained women should wherever possible be supervised by female staff.

Answer

There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order (DSO) 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate' sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld. In addition, DSO 09/2012 ‘Searching Policy’ sets out the requirements for searching women in detention, providing clear guidance that women must only be searched by members of the same sex.

All staff working with women receive appropriate gender specific training (such as the protocol for entry to bedrooms), in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training or undertake appropriate refresher training. This includes equality and diversity, human trafficking and modern slavery.

The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL7154
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Staff Asylum Women Protection Safety
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk