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Twelfth Annual Report of the UK's National Preventive Mechanism

My honourable friend the Minister for Prisons and the Minister for Afghan Resettlement (Victoria Atkins) has made the following written statement:

'The United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), which the UK ratified in December 2003, requires States Parties to establish a “National Preventive Mechanism” (NPM) to carry out visits to places of detention to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The Government established the UK NPM in March 2009 (Hansard 31 March 2009, Vol. 490, Part No. 57, Column 56WS). The UK NPM is currently composed of 21 scrutiny bodies covering the whole of the UK.

Following previous practice, I present to Parliament the 12^th NPM’s annual report (Command Paper 607). This report covers the period from 23 March 2020 to 1 April 2021.

I commend the important work that the NPM has carried out over the year and the NPM’s independent role in safeguarding the human rights of detainees across the UK and its role in preventing torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. The Government takes allegations of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment very seriously and any allegations are investigated fully. The Government does not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture for any purpose.

The NPM’s report focuses on the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for those in detention settings. The report notes the actions taken by detention authorities in response to the pandemic which averted the serious risk of large numbers of infections among people in detention, but that these had impacts on key issues such as the time out of cell, education provision and visits.

I am grateful for the work the NPM and its members have continued to undertake during the pandemic and the findings set out in its report. The Government is committed to ensuring that those in detention in the UK are treated with respect and care.'