Airports: Heathrow

Baroness Stern
asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the longest time in the past six months that a detainee has been held in the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow Airport. [HL3318]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead)
During the past six months, the longest time a detainee has been held in the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow is 47 hours.

Baroness Stern
asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will produce statutory provisions governing the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow Airport. [HL3320]

Lord West of Spithead
We aim to introduce short-term holding facility rules this autumn; the rules will make provision for the regulation and management of all UK Border Agency's short-term holding facilities, including those at Heathrow Airport.

Baroness Stern
asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will improve access to interpreters for detainees in the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow Airport. [HL3321]

Lord West of Spithead
The UK Border Agency is mindful of its duty to act in the best interests of detainees and regularly reviews its detention procedures.

Where any individual cannot communicate in English, UK Border Agency officers will engage a qualified interpreter. This protects the individual's interests and also ensures fairness and transparency in the application of the Immigration Rules.

Detainees are also allowed to use personal mobile phones and have access to pay phones while in the short-term holding facilities at the airport. Numbers for embassies and consulates are either prominently displayed or available on request.