Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

1999 CHAPTER 33

Commentary on Sections

Schedule 12: Discipline etc. at detention centres

419. Paragraph 1 of Schedule 12 allows detention centre rules to make provision for the measurement and photographing of detained persons. Paragraph 2 provides powers, similar to those available in private prisons, to require detained persons to be tested for drugs and alcohol. Paragraph 3 provides powers to require detained persons to be medically examined where there are reasonable grounds for believing that they are suffering from highly contagious diseases to be specified by order and where an authorisation has been given by the Secretary of State and is in force.

420. The Schedule also creates offences of helping a detainee to escape or attempt to escape from a detention centre and of importing any alcohol or other thing into detention centres, contrary to detention centre rules. These reflect equivalent offences which already exist in respect of prisons.

421. The Schedule also provides for the posting of penalty notices at detention centres and short-term holding facilities, which are intended to draw attention to the penalties to which a person may be liable if he commits an offence under paragraphs 4, 5 or 6 of this Schedule.