Recommendation 54

HM Government Acknowledged

The Government is grateful for the committee’s report and we remain committed to supporting those in our accommodation and those detained in our care, appropriately throughout this changing period. However, we do not believe that it is helpful to compare immigration removal centre services, with that of accommodation for asylum seekers. While there are some commonalities between these contract services, we do not believe the management of these services is best undertaken through a single COVID-19 strategy. There are no plans to undertake a consolidated review of management across these services at this time. Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): institutional accommodation: 19 As our earlier responses set out, UKVI and IE have been evaluating and keeping all temporary measures under review as part of our daily management and will ensure that all published guidance on the principles for managing COVID-19 in these settings, is reviewed as and when necessary to do so, such as, changes in the stage of the pandemic or changes to public health advice. All decisions made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in these settings, are done so with due regard to Public Sector Equality Duties and the safeguarding of the health and wellbeing of all including those with protected characteristics All the Government’s Public Health England guidance is available at gov.uk - we will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure detained individuals and service users are receiving the information and support they need throughout the pandemic.