A spot check of Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre in Scotland by the chief inspector of prisons Anne Owers found previous recommendations for independent assessments of the welfare of detained children had not been implemented. Similar concerns were reflected in a report on Tinsley House detention centre in England.
Home Office minister Tom McNulty said that a new "dedicated family unit" had been opened at another centre, Yarl's Wood, since the two inspections.
"This provides a safe and comfortable environment for families who need to be detained beyond three days."
But Bill Bolloten, a refugee education consultant, said the response was inadequate. Failure to safeguard children's welfare in existing facilities made him less than confident that the new provision would be any different, he added.
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