Tag: Kate Osamor

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees were threatened with the Kingfisher Isolation Unit as a result of peaceful protest activities in conjunction with the demonstration outside Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre on 10 September 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Kingfisher Unit at Yarl’s Wood is managed by Serco, the service provider, in accordance with Rules 40 (removal from association) and 42 (temporary confinement) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001. Detainees may only be separated from others for reasons of safety, either their own or for others, for security reasons or when an individual is being refractory or violent. There is no provision in the Rules for separation to be used as punishment.

Provisional management information from Serco shows that no detainees were re-located to Kingfisher Unit on either 10 or 11 September. There is no record of any complaints having been made by detainees alleging that they have been threatened with placement on Kingfisher Unit in connection with the demonstration on 10 September.

Detainee Custody Officers must not threaten detainees in order to manage their behaviour but may advise detainees that they may be separated if their behaviour is judged to risk compromising the safety and security of the centre, themselves or others.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, published on 28 October 2015, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of that report; and what steps her Department is taking to contribute to the global eradication of tuberculosis.

Grant Shapps

We welcome the publication of the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2015, which reports on the challenges and achievements that have been made in tackling this terrible disease. The report highlights the threat of drug-resistant TB and makes the case for new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines to achieve the targets in the End TB Strategy.

The UK Government continues to be committed to tackling this disease, which was demonstrated by our support for the new Global Goal for Good Health and Well-Being. This includes helping to increase the access to, and use of, effective diagnostics and treatment of TB, including drug resistant TB. The UK delivers on its commitment through different channels, including supporting research and product development into more effective diagnosis, treatment and vaccines; helping countries to strengthen health systems to deliver quality TB programmes; and through our support to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNITAID. The Global Fund has enabled 13.2 million people to receive TB treatment since 2002.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s policy is on testing detainees for infectious diseases such as TB.

Jane Ellison

In April 2015, Public Health England, NHS England, and Home Office Immigration Enforcement jointly published a National Partnership Agreement which outlines shared commitments and priorities across the three organisations relating to the health and wellbeing of people in detention in the immigration removal estate. This includes a joint priority to improve the pro-active detection, surveillance and management of infectious diseases in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), particularly in respect of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and tuberculosis (TB), and to improve capability to detect and respond to outbreaks and incidents.

A programme of work to implement the provisions of the National Partnership Agreement is being taken forward by the three organisations. Use of new technology is being explored in some IRCs including using digital x-ray technology to detect active TB disease in the lungs as well as blood tests to detect both latent TB and BBV infection.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Turkish government about the use of curfew, martial law and the deployment of the military in (a) Cizre and Silvan and (b) other mainly Kurdish towns.

Mr David Lidington

We welcome the visit on 15-16 October of Turkey’s national human rights body to Cizre and Sirnak to conduct analysis and research on the recent events there. We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Turkey closely and raise concerns regularly with the Turkish authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre detainees were held in the Kingfisher Isolation Unit on the weekend of 10 September 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Kingfisher Unit at Yarl’s Wood is managed by Serco, the service provider, in accordance with Rules 40 (removal from association) and 42 (temporary confinement) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001. Detainees may only be separated from others for reasons of safety, either their own or for others, for security reasons or when an individual is being refractory or violent. There is no provision in the Rules for separation to be used as punishment.

Provisional management information from Serco shows that no detainees were re-located to Kingfisher Unit on either 10 or 11 September. There is no record of any complaints having been made by detainees alleging that they have been threatened with placement on Kingfisher Unit in connection with the demonstration on 10 September.

Detainee Custody Officers must not threaten detainees in order to manage their behaviour but may advise detainees that they may be separated if their behaviour is judged to risk compromising the safety and security of the centre, themselves or others.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on the London Assembly’s report, Tackling TB in London, published on 27 October 2015.

Jane Ellison

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not had discussions with the Mayor of London on the London Assembly’s report, Tackling TB in London. However, Ministers are regularly kept informed on progress made against the objectives of the national Tuberculosis (TB) strategy for England by Public Health England who, in turn, advise the Mayor on all health matters, including TB.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women taken to hospital from Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre have been handcuffed in transit in each of the last six months.

James Brokenshire

Provisional management information showing the number of women who have been handcuffed when taken to hospital from Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre over the requested period is detailed in the table below:

The increased figure in October 2015 was not due to any change in policy. These cases have been reviewed by the Home Office Use of Force Monitor to ensure that the use of handcuffs was appropriate. The review established that each case had been subject to an individual risk assessment, in accordance with standard policy, and that handcuffs were used on the basis of that outcome of that assessment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-01-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the Financial Conduct Authority’s decision to end its review into HSBC.

Harriett Baldwin

The FCA are operationally independent of Government. They are responsible for deciding how to carry out their functions, and for assessing the implication of their actions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding of the Review into the Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons, A report to the Home Office by Stephen Shaw, published in January 2016, paragraph 12, that rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules does not protect vulnerable people who find themselves in detention.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government has carefully considered the recommendations made by Stephen Shaw in his review report, and has taken these into account in introducing revised guidance and its new policy on adults at risk in immigration detention. Revised guidance on Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 was published on 12 September 2016. It will support improved reporting quality by doctors working in immigration removal centres and improved consideration by Home Office caseworkers of those reports. The adults at risk policy, which also came into force on 12 September, strikes the right balance between protecting vulnerable individuals and maintaining effective and proportionate immigration control.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) deaths from and (b) cases of HIV, TB and malaria that will be prevented as a result of her Department’s £1 billion commitment to the Global Fund from 2014 to 2016.

Grant Shapps

From a standing start in 2002, the UK’s unwavering support has enabled the Global Fund to keep 8.1 million people alive with HIV therapy, distribute 548 million mosquito nets, detect and treat 13.2 million cases of TB, and has contributed to a decline of one third in the number of people dying from the three diseases since 2002 in Global Fund countries.

The UK remains a strong and active supporter of the Global Fund and has pledged a contribution of up to £1 billion between 2014 and 2016 for the Global Fund’s 4th replenishment, subject to a 10% donor share cap. The UK’s contribution is estimated to dramatically improve the lives of millions of people – saving approximately 580,000 lives by preventing 8.4m new malaria, HIV and tuberculosis infections.