MPs to investigate death of deportee

The head of the UK Border Agency will face questions over the death of an Angolan man who was being deported from Britain.

Lin Homer, chief executive of the UK Border Agency, will appear before the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee concerning the issue of deportation. Keith Vaz, the chairman of the committee, said he intended to question Ms Homer on the case of Jimmy Mubenga, 46, who died last Tuesday while being deported from the UK.

The committee has also written to the security firm G4S for further details about how deportations are carried out, including details of the training undertaken by their staff.

Three security guards from G4S have been arrested over Mr Mubenga's death on a plane at Heathrow, as he was being forcibly removed from the UK to Angola. Mr Vaz said: "The Committee will question Lin Homer on the policy area of removals. Clearly we will be keen to know by then if there have been any more details on the specific case of Jimmy Mubenga as well as the wider issue. We welcome the communication that we have received from G4S. I have written to them to ask what guidelines they use when removing people from the UK."

A spokesman for the Home Office said Ms Homer is expected to appear before the committee when she is called to give evidence. No date has been set for the next hearing.

An inquest into Mr Mubenga's death – described by police as "unexplained" – is expected to open later this week. G4S said in a statement that three employees were "continuing to help the police with their investigation. As a result of that ongoing investigation we are unable to provide additional comment at this time."