The fire and riot at the Yarl's Wood detention centre in February has left the UK's private prisons unable to extend insurance contracts.

This could leave them in a position where they are forced to close; prison contractors are legally obliged to insure their facilities.

A government spokesman said several of the UK's nine privately-managed prisons were shortly to renew their insurance contracts, but the Yarl's Wood incident had left insurers reluctant to provide cover for material damage, except at very high premiums.

Rioting asylum seekers caused an estimated £100m of damage at Yarl's Wood.

"It's not all insurance, just insurance specifically related to a major incident that causes significant damage," the spokesman said.

Heath Lambert director Richard Worker said underwriters had to note the significant differences between prisons and detention centres, both in terms of construction and levels of security. "There is capacity for prisons... But underwriters are still going through the pain of re-addressing their book."

The 2025 Insurance Times Awards took place on the evening of Wednesday 3rd December in the iconic Great Room of London’s Grosvenor House.

Hosted by comedian and actor Tom Allen, 34 Gold, 23 Silver and 22 Bronze awards were handed out across an amazing 34 categories recognising brilliance and innovation right across the breadth of UK general insurance.
Many congratulations to all the worthy winners and as always, huge thanks to our sponsors for their support and our judges for their expertise.

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