1-14 of 14 results for subject:Self-harm
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Lord Bassam of Brighton
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Bassam of Brighton, Lord (14)
Legislative stage
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My Lords, the Government take such issues very seriously. Every Immigration Service removal centre has measures in place to help identify and monitor those who are considered to be at risk of suicide and self-harm. Since 1989, there have been 12 deaths in immigration detention; seven have been investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman—one is continuing—and we consider carefully his reports and recommendations, particularly for lessons that may be learnt for the future.
My Lords, the Government take such issues very seriously. Every Immigration Service removal centre has measures in place to help identify and monitor those who are considered to be at risk of suicide and self-harm. Since 1989, there have been 12 deaths in immigration detention; seven have been investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman—one is continuing—and we consider carefully his reports and recommendations, particularly for lessons that may be learnt for the future.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord Avebury
(Liberal Democrat)
Type
Oral answers to questions
Whether they have any proposals to introduce further measures to prevent suicide and self-harm at immigration detention centres.
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1149
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, I should make it plain from the start that we are concerned about this area, and of course the reports to which the noble Lord has referred are important and telling. Steps are taken to ensure that we adopt the best practice. We are working carefully with the Prison Service to ensure that when it changes its procedures to a new system we adopt that new system as well. It is regrettable that cases take a time to come to coroners’ courts, but the coroners’ courts process is very rigorous, and it is only right that due process is seen to be operating properly. It means that the issues are considered thoroughly, which is to everyone’s benefit, not least those who endure a period of time in Immigration Service detention.
My Lords, I should make it plain from the start that we are concerned about this area, and of course the reports to which the noble Lord has referred are important and telling. Steps are taken to ensure that we adopt the best practice. We are working carefully with the Prison Service to ensure that when it changes its procedures to a new system we adopt that new system as well. It is regrettable that cases take a time to come to coroners’ courts, but the coroners’ courts process is very rigorous, and it is only right that due process is seen to be operating properly. It means that the issues are considered thoroughly, which is to everyone’s benefit, not least those who endure a period of time in Immigration Service detention.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord Avebury
(Liberal Democrat)
Type
Oral answers to questions
My Lords, considering the number of deaths in immigration detention centres given by the noble Lord and the fact that the Chief Inspector of Prisons mentions suicide no fewer than 19 times in her most recent report on a detention centre, Harmondsworth, does the noble Lord not think that it is damaging to the credibility of the whole service when long delays take place in bringing them before coroners’ courts? Are any steps included in the announcement made by the Solicitor-General last week concerning the reform of coroners’ courts that will speed up the reports on the deaths in immigration detention centres and the consequent reports by the prison ombudsman, which always appear several months later?
Can the noble Lord also say whether he has read the article in the BMJ Journals last week, which said that it was questionable whether effective psychiatric services could be provided in an environment of prolonged detention such as we have in the centres? Will he say what is being done to reduce the length of detention and thus the likelihood of self-harm and suicide?
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1149-50
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, the Immigration Service makes thorough use of translation services. It has access to a wide range of those services, and it takes expert advice. I am not aware that a lack of understanding of the sort to which the noble Viscount has referred has been a particular problem or a particular problem in any of these cases.
My Lords, the Immigration Service makes thorough use of translation services. It has access to a wide range of those services, and it takes expert advice. I am not aware that a lack of understanding of the sort to which the noble Viscount has referred has been a particular problem or a particular problem in any of these cases.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Viscount Bridgeman
(Conservative)
Type
Oral answers to questions
My Lords, will the Minister consider whether the problem might be alleviated by having adequate translation and interpretation facilities at the centres?
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1150-1
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, I take seriously what the most reverend Primate says in this instance. Clearly, we need to do more to address the important issue of chaplaincy services. It is an important issue, and I know what comfort they can bring. We will take urgent steps to review the issue that the most reverend Primate has drawn to our attention.
My Lords, I take seriously what the most reverend Primate says in this instance. Clearly, we need to do more to address the important issue of chaplaincy services. It is an important issue, and I know what comfort they can bring. We will take urgent steps to review the issue that the most reverend Primate has drawn to our attention.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Type
Oral answers to questions
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1151
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, we try to ensure that the movement of people from one detention centre to another is kept to a minimum. Most people do not spend a long period in detention centres, and the vast majority of those who do spend any time in them are there for up to only two or three weeks. It is not in anybody’s interest that people are moved frequently. We try to ensure that all the rights to welfare and support services are plugged in. However, one has to accept that these are difficult cases involving some complex issues that we are dealing with. We try to act in everyone’s interest.
My Lords, we try to ensure that the movement of people from one detention centre to another is kept to a minimum. Most people do not spend a long period in detention centres, and the vast majority of those who do spend any time in them are there for up to only two or three weeks. It is not in anybody’s interest that people are moved frequently. We try to ensure that all the rights to welfare and support services are plugged in. However, one has to accept that these are difficult cases involving some complex issues that we are dealing with. We try to act in everyone’s interest.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Baroness Williams of Crosby
(Liberal Democrat)
Type
Oral answers to questions
My Lords, would it be possible to consider carefully the policy of moving people frequently between detention centres? In addition to pastoral support, the welcome and compassionate help of the friends of various detention centres who extend the hand of friendship is crucial in preventing people being driven to despair. Will the Minister therefore look to see whether the Home Office policy of constantly moving people from one detention centre to another, breaking those crucial relationships, can be carefully reconsidered?
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1151-2
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, I think that we as a country do our level best in tackling illegal immigration, which is at the core of the issue. My noble friend is right: we must be seen to treat people fairly and reasonably, and that is what our procedures aim to do. That is why at any one time we have, relatively speaking, a very small number of people in immigration detention. They are there for particular reasons, and that is quite right. Within the immigration detention estate we try to treat people fairly and properly and ensure that they have proper access to welfare and legal services so that their cases can be dealt with promptly, fairly and reasonably.
My Lords, I think that we as a country do our level best in tackling illegal immigration, which is at the core of the issue. My noble friend is right: we must be seen to treat people fairly and reasonably, and that is what our procedures aim to do. That is why at any one time we have, relatively speaking, a very small number of people in immigration detention. They are there for particular reasons, and that is quite right. Within the immigration detention estate we try to treat people fairly and properly and ensure that they have proper access to welfare and legal services so that their cases can be dealt with promptly, fairly and reasonably.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord Judd
(Labour)
Type
Oral answers to questions
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the gravity and urgency of the issue is underlined by the wider concern—central to our preoccupations in the House—about how we win the battle for hearts and minds in our efforts to contain global terrorism by reducing the number of anxious, alienated people on whom extremists can play? It is not simply a matter of our immigration policy and how it is administered; it has implications for that wider issue as well.
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1152
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, as I made plain in my initial comment, it is regrettable that the cases take time to come before coroners’ courts, but it is right too that thorough consideration is given and that proper reports are prepared for the coroners to consider. I do not have precise statistics on the periods of delay; there have thankfully been only 12 deaths in custody since 1989 of the sort to which we are referring. We take them very seriously, and we try to learn the lessons from every instance that has occurred in the detention centres. We care greatly to ensure that such occurrences do not happen in the future.
My Lords, as I made plain in my initial comment, it is regrettable that the cases take time to come before coroners’ courts, but it is right too that thorough consideration is given and that proper reports are prepared for the coroners to consider. I do not have precise statistics on the periods of delay; there have thankfully been only 12 deaths in custody since 1989 of the sort to which we are referring. We take them very seriously, and we try to learn the lessons from every instance that has occurred in the detention centres. We care greatly to ensure that such occurrences do not happen in the future.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale
(Labour)
Type
Oral answers to questions
My Lords, will the Minister confirm that in some cases of unexpected deaths in detention centres the coroners’ courts take between two and three years to hold an inquest? Is that not unfair on the relatives and the family, and does it not mean that it takes much longer than it should for the lessons to be learnt from those tragedies?
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1150
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, I know that the noble Earl has a great deal of experience in this. It is a tricky and complex area. It is not our desire to keep families in detention centres for great lengths of time. The information that I have suggests that most families spend only a reasonably short time in the centres. It is probably in some of those families’ best interests that they are there. We try to keep families together. If we were to adopt a policy of removing children from the detention centres, they could be separated from their mothers in particular and their families in general. I do not think that that would be desirable at all. As we speak, as I understand it, only approximately 70 children are held in detention centres. I cannot say that that is an absolute figure, but we try to keep the number to a minimum. At the forefront of our minds in this policy, the welfare of the child must be the first consideration.
My Lords, I know that the noble Earl has a great deal of experience in this. It is a tricky and complex area. It is not our desire to keep families in detention centres for great lengths of time. The information that I have suggests that most families spend only a reasonably short time in the centres. It is probably in some of those families’ best interests that they are there. We try to keep families together. If we were to adopt a policy of removing children from the detention centres, they could be separated from their mothers in particular and their families in general. I do not think that that would be desirable at all. As we speak, as I understand it, only approximately 70 children are held in detention centres. I cannot say that that is an absolute figure, but we try to keep the number to a minimum. At the forefront of our minds in this policy, the welfare of the child must be the first consideration.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Earl of Listowel
(Crossbench)
Type
Oral answers to questions
My Lords, is the Minister particularly concerned at the state of mind of mothers in detention who have children under the age of three? Will he undertake to examine carefully why increasing numbers of such mothers are experiencing detention pending removal for purely administrative reasons and not to prevent their absconding?
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1152
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
My Lords, I appreciate entirely the noble Lord’s concern. I am as concerned as he is, and no doubt the Immigration Service is as well. We do our best to ensure that such cases are brought forward in an expedient and timely fashion, but I will go back and review the periods to which the noble Lord has drawn attention. I agree that we require that all of the cases take the shortest period possible, as that would be to everyone’s satisfaction.
My Lords, I appreciate entirely the noble Lord’s concern. I am as concerned as he is, and no doubt the Immigration Service is as well. We do our best to ensure that such cases are brought forward in an expedient and timely fashion, but I will go back and review the periods to which the noble Lord has drawn attention. I agree that we require that all of the cases take the shortest period possible, as that would be to everyone’s satisfaction.
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord Dubs
(Labour)
Type
Oral answers to questions
My Lords, perhaps I can press my noble friend further on the time delays that he talked about. He will appreciate that we are limited in the questions that we can ask about anything that is coming before a coroners’ court, for reasons to do with the Companion. However, perhaps he can answer this question: why does it take three years before a coroners’ court can deal with a matter in which an individual has been found hanging and is dead in an immigration centre? Surely even the most thorough scrutiny of the matter by the coroners’ court does not take three years.
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1151
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
Whether they have any proposals to introduce further measures to prevent suicide and self-harm at immigration detention centres.
Whether they have any proposals to introduce further measures to prevent suicide and self-harm at immigration detention centres.
Asked by
Lord Avebury
(Liberal Democrat)
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Procedure
Topical questions (HL)
For answer on
15 February 2006
Answered on
15 February 2006
My Lords, the Government take such issues very seriously. Every Immigration Service removal centre has measures in place to help identify and monitor those who are considered to be at risk of suicide and self-harm. Since 1989, there have been 12 deaths in immigration detention; seven have been investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman—one is continuing—and we consider carefully his reports and recommendations, particularly for lessons that may be learnt for the future.
Subjects
Detainees; Suicide; Self-harm; Immigration removal centres
Date
15 February 2006
Reference
678 c1149
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
What progress has been made on the review of the Prison Service's suicide and self-harm strategy. [HL 617].
What progress has been made on the review of the Prison Service's suicide and self-harm strategy. [HL 617].
Asked by
Lord Elder
(Labour)
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
For answer on
5 February 2001
Answered on
5 February 2001
Subjects
Prisoners; Prisons; Suicide; Self-harm
Date
5 February 2001
Reference
HL 617; 621 c83-4WA
House
House of Lords
How many incidents of self harm were recorded in each prison establishment in England and Wales in the year 1999-2000. [HL 3]. - Shall write.
How many incidents of self harm were recorded in each prison establishment in England and Wales in the year 1999-2000. [HL 3]. - Shall write.
Asked by
Bishop of Lincoln
(Bishops (affiliation))
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
For answer on
11 December 2000
Answered on
11 December 2000
Subjects
Prisoners; Self-harm
Date
11 December 2000
Reference
620 c6WA; HL 3
House
House of Lords
How many inmates of young offender institutions committed or attempted suicide in each year since 1997; and how many cases of self-harm took place in each year since 1997. [HL 3136;HL 3137]. - Inc tables.
How many inmates of young offender institutions committed or attempted suicide in each year since 1997; and how many cases of self-harm took place in each year since 1997. [HL 3136;HL 3137]. - Inc tables.
Asked by
Earl of Listowel
(Crossbench)
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
For answer on
11 July 2000
Answered on
11 July 2000
Subjects
Young offenders; Suicide; Self-harm; Young offender institutions
Date
11 July 2000
Reference
615 c13-4WA; HL 3136;HL 3137
House
House of Lords
Why HM Prison Parc is the only prison in England and Wales not to provide the Prison Service Directorate of Health Care with statistics on recorded incidents of self-harm. [HL 1917].
Why HM Prison Parc is the only prison in England and Wales not to provide the Prison Service Directorate of Health Care with statistics on recorded incidents of self-harm. [HL 1917].
Asked by
Baroness Hilton of Eggardon
(Labour)
Answered by
Lord Bassam of Brighton
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
For answer on
14 April 2000
Answered on
14 April 2000
Subjects
Disclosure of information; Prisoners; Self-harm; HMP/YOI Parc
Date
14 April 2000
Reference
HL 1917; 612 c73WA
House
House of Lords