Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, upon notice, on 31 May 2011:

With reference to the article 'Heroin a hit in migrant centres' on page 3 of The Sunday Telegraph, dated 29 May 2011, in which it is claimed that 'Heroin addicts are being held in immigration detention centres and provided with methadone':

(1) Who provides medical services to detainees in Australia's detention network.

(2) How many detainees in the detention network have a drug related problem.

(3) How many detainees in the detention network are addicted to heroin.

(4) How many detainees are currently receiving methadone.

(5) What has been the total cost of the methadone program at Sydney's Villawood detention centre and Victoria's Maribyrnong facility for each of the following financial years

  (a) 2007-08;

  (b) 2008-09;

  (c) 2009-10; and

  (d) 2010-11 to date.

(6) Have any detainees in the detention network developed drug dependency since they entered the detention network; if so, how many and where are they located.

(7) Can details be provided of the total cost for providing health related services to detainees in the detention network for each of the following financial years:

  (a) 2007-08;

  (b) 2008-09;

  (c) 2009-10; and

  (d) 2010-11 to date.

(8) Given that the article in The Sunday Telegraph states that 'Each detainee is racking up a medical bill on average of almost $8000 during their stay', is this correct; if not, what is the average medical bill incurred by a detainee during their time in detention.

(9) For each of the following financial years: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 to date:

  (a) on how many occasions have illegal substances been found in detention centres; and

  (b) what were these illegal substances.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Medical services to persons detained at immigration detention facilities are provided by the Department's contracted Health Services Provider, International Health and Medical Services (IHMS).

(2) Some people in immigration detention may have pre-existing drug related problems or drug dependencies. The actual number is unknown, as random drug testing of clients is not undertaken.

(3) The Department is aware of one client being addicted to heroin within the detention network.

(4) Two clients currently receive methadone treatments. One is for addiction (as indicated above) and the other is for pain management.

(5) Separate costing for the Methadone programs run in the Villawood and Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Facilities are not available. These programs are included in the IHMS contract and are not distinguished separately.

(6) The Department is not aware of any client developing a drug addiction problem while in immigration detention.

(7) The total cost for detention health and related services is as follows:

(8) The Department's immigration detention network consists of a range of facilities of differing structure, location and capacity. Costs are not captured on a per person per day basis as each facility has different cost drivers where costs fluctuate depending on the number of people in that facility and the services that each individual might require.

(9) No substances confirmed as being illegal have been found in immigration detention centres. Occasionally, unidentified substances are found and are handed to local Police. Below is a record of such occurrences for the periods requested: