Parliamentary questions

PQ - Shabana Mahmood : what assessment of the safety of nose control and other restraint techniques used by private security companies undertaking enforced removals - 13/10/11

Posted by Emma Ginn

Shabana Mahmood:  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the safety of (a) nose control and (b) other restraint techniques used by private security companies undertaking enforced removals; and what consideration she has given to phasing out the use of such techniques. [73937]

Damian Green: We would prefer that individuals who have no right to remain in the UK left voluntarily. However, where they refuse to do so, it may be necessary to enforce their removal.

Escort officers will only ever use restraint as an absolute last resort when every effort to secure compliance during a removal has failed and where it is necessary to prevent self-harm or to protect others and property.

In order to exercise any use of restraint, officers must be certified by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), a condition of which is that they have undergone training to a high standard of techniques approved by the National Offender Management Service.

The ‘nose control’ technique was withdrawn in October 2010 and is no longer part of the training syllabus.

Hansard

Last Updated on Thursday, 26 January 2012