Written questions by Foy.

What additional steps her Department plans to take to improve the process of accessing evisa accounts.

eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which will be more digital and streamlined, a change that will enhance the applicant’s experience and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.The UKVI account provides people with the ability to use online services to ‘view and prove’ their immigration status, including their rights to rent, work, study and access public services, by sharing relevant information about their permissions in the UK. People can easily keep the Home Office updated with any changes in their details or documentation using their account. For example, they can tell us about changes to their name, nationality or a new passport.Our aim is that new and existing immigration status holders will have access to a UKVI account and their eVisa, and that creating a UKVI account is a smooth and straightforward process.To help people create and use their UKVI accounts, we have provided information and guidance videos on GOV.UK which show users how to access and use their UKVI account. We have listened to feedback from users and have plans to make our GOV.UK pages easier to follow. These planned improvements are currently being drafted and are scheduled for release later in 2025.We are continually improving the functionality and ease of use of the UKVI account. For example, we recently added the facility for a person without an identity document to create an account and we will add the ability to link a Home Office issued travel document to a UKVI account later in 2025.Monitoring of the system since the end of December 2024 suggests that for most people the transition to eVisa has gone smoothly. By the end of April 2025 over 4.3 million people had created an online (UKVI) account to access their eVisa, with the latest statistics published on GOV.UK on 22 May 2025. Further statistics will be published in due course.Between Q4 2019 and Q1 2025, the 'view and prove' service has seen over 41.9 million views by individuals and over 6.3 million views by organisations checking immigration status.Should anyone find themselves needing support with creating their UKVI account or getting access to their eVisa, the latest updates and guidance can be found on GOV.UKWe are continuing to listen to the views and concerns of stakeholders and users of our digital systems and aim to continually enhance the user experience wherever possible. We have also increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK to support people to be able to set up and access their eVisa accounts.

What oversight mechanisms her Department has established to ensure that Serco fulfils its contractual obligations as the operator of Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre.

Onsite Home Office Compliance Teams are responsible for ensuring that Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) contracted centre providers are fulfilling their contractual requirements. Performance is monitored through a robust and comprehensive system of contract management, to ensure that the Home Office is receiving effective service and value for money. As part of this contract monitoring process, contractual failures have been identified at Derwentside IRC and appropriate action taken.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that women have access to high-quality (a) interpretation and (b) translation services at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre.

There is detailed guidance for staff working at all Immigration Removal Centres (IRC), including Derwentside. Detention Services Order ‘Interpretation Services and use of Translation Devices’ provides instruction and guidance on the use of interpretation services and electronic translation devices. It sets out the provisions, including interpretation services and translation devices available for individuals held in immigration detention, and the circumstances in which these should be used. During the arrivals and induction process, a primary and secondary language assessment is conducted. The outcome of those assessments is recorded on the individual’s profile. For those requiring interpreters, staff at Derwentside have access to dedicated telephone interpretation services 24 hours a day. In addition, electronic translation devices are available to support informal engagement. Together, these enable support for women throughout their time in the centre.

With reference to the report entitled Evaluation of Action Access, an Alternative to Detention Pilot by UNHCR, published in January 2022, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of community-based alternatives to detention for women.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.

Whether any penalties have been applied to Serco for non-compliance with contractual obligations at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre in the past 12 months.

Onsite Home Office Compliance Teams are responsible for ensuring that Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) contracted centre providers are fulfilling their contractual requirements. Performance is monitored through a robust and comprehensive system of contract management, to ensure that the Home Office is receiving effective service and value for money. As part of this contract monitoring process, contractual failures have been identified at Derwentside IRC and appropriate action taken.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of suicide prevention training for staff in police custody suites.

The Government is committed to preventing deaths in or following police custody, including suicides both in custody and following release.The College of Policing’s 'Vulnerability in Custody' training package, launched in 2022, seeks to improve the consistency and quality of custody training, focusing on identifying vulnerability and managing risk. This training was developed in response to recommendations made in the Independent Review of Deaths and Serious Incidents in Police Custody led by Dame Elish Angiolini. The College is undertaking an evaluation of the training package which will be completed in June.The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, College of Policing, and key health and voluntary sector stakeholders to improve support for those at risk of suicide following release from police custody.