Reports have emerged that show the controversial and infamous firm G4S made £2m profit per year for running an immigration centre where film captured by a panorama investigation back in 2017 showed merciless mistreatment by staff. A report conducted by the National Audit Office found the security firm made over £14m profit for running Brook House near Gatwick airport between 2012 and 2018. Government contracts are often a partisan issue which divides the house of commons however these findings have been met with serious questions from MP’s across the house.
The Panorama footage which went to broadcast in September 2017 showed alleged physical assaults and substantial verbal abuse of detainees at Brook House. This was a significant scandal at the time. However, this NAO report stating that G4S has been making “significant profits”, rating between 10% and 20% each year on this contract only goes to compound these acts further. However, even following the emergence of the footage it was only reported that six members of staff were dismissed.
It was stated that under the terms of the contract authorised by the Home office G4S cannot be penalised if staff use excessive force or inappropriate language. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who is the chairwoman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, which is the committee that is supposed to review and hold the home office to account, said the findings raised “serious questions” about the Home Office’s handling of private and sensitive contracts as well as claiming that these issues should have been picked up sooner. Ms Cooper went onto say that “For G4S to be making up to 20% gross profits on the Brook House contract at the same time as such awful abuse by staff against detainees was taking place is extremely troubling.” Ms Cooper, pulling no punches confirmed that the committee will further pursue these issues regarding G4S and the Home Office together.
Despite these problems, the Nation Audit Office did conclude that G4S, who has over 1,000 customers, “broadly delivered” on the terms that were in the contract. In response to these claims, a Home Office spokesman said it was making “significant changes” to the contracting model. As well as this they added that “The Home Office and G4S have been working together and we remain committed to improving leadership, management and training at Brook House.”
John Whitwam MBE, who is the managing director of G4S has said: “Building on the significant progress already made at Brook House IRC, we continue to work closely with the Home Office to improve further the services we provide.” In this report, the NAO states that the Home Office has now concluded that the Brook House contract as is not fit for purpose, as a result of the inability to impose financial penalties and enforce improvements of standards in all areas. It would, therefore, seem prudent and likely that future contracts will include performance measures which would allow for closer monitoring and review.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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