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Detainees
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which categories of detainees may be kept for unspecified periods of time in HM Prison Service establishments or detention centres without being charged with a crime. [783]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Prison Service keeps in custody those subject to a warrant of commitment or other lawful detention order. Those held for unspecified periods of time will be remanded by a court awaiting trial, sentence or extradition proceedings or be detained under Immigration Act powers.
Departmental Computer Systems
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that his Department's computer systems are millennium compliant; and if he will make a statement. [1249]
Mr. Straw:
My Department is aware of the problem. Year 2000 managers have been appointed in each business area to deal with it and a steering committee, chaired at director level, has been established to monitor and co-ordinate action taken across the Department. The Department's information technology (IT) supplier (Sema Group) has completed an audit of IT systems and is about to commence more detailed analysis. The aim is to produce a prioritised, costed programme of action by October 1997 and to have implemented and tested modified systems by the end of 1998. This is in line with the recommendations of the Central IT Unit (CITU) and the National Audit Office.
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We are participating in the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency's programme of consultation and education and are members of the Year 2000 Public Sector Group.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy in the Library of the guidance issued by his Department to police forces concerning the Firearms Act 1997. [1309]
Mr. Michael:
A copy of the police guidance will be placed in the Library when it is issued. This will be immediately after the draft compensation scheme has been debated and approved by Parliament. The debates are expected to take place very shortly.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the asylum seekers on hunger strike at HMP Birmingham/Winson Green, since 5 May have been detained longer than two months; and if he will list them and the periods for which they have been detained; [782]
(3) how many of the hunger strikers at HMP Birmingham/Winson Green have alleged torture in their applications for asylum; and, of those, how many have had access to independent medical assessment of their allegations. [785]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
There is currently only one asylum seeker refusing regular prison meals at Her Majesty's prison Birmingham. It would not be proper to disclose details of an individual case.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the detained asylum seekers at HMP Birmingham/Winson Green were detained prior to an initial determination of their application. [786]
Mr. O'Brien:
As at 30 May 1997, the most recent date for which information is available, a total of 11 persons who had sought asylum at some stage were recorded as being solely detained under Immigration Act powers in Her Majesty's Prison, Winson Green, Birmingham. Of those, nine persons were detained prior to an initial determination on their asylum application. Three of these nine detainees had previously been detained as part of a criminal sentence. They have all subsequently had an initial determination and four have also been through the appeals process and are now awaiting removal.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to undertake a review of the policy of detention of asylum seekers. [787]
Mr. O'Brien:
A general review of immigration detention policy is currently being undertaken.
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Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are held in detention under immigration and asylum legislation in (a) prison and (b) detention centres; and of those how many have been held for (i) 0 to three months, (ii) three to six months, (iii) six months to one year and (iv) over one year. [1748]
Mr. O'Brien:
The number of persons held in detention under immigration and asylum legislation on 31 March 1997, the most recent date that statistics are available, is given in table 1. An analysis of this data by length of detention is shown in table 2.
(2) how many of the cases of asylum seekers on hunger strike at HMP Birmingham/Winson Green have been brought for independent review before a judicial authority; [784]
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Prisons Service establishments in England and Wales(9) | 475 |
| Immigration Service detention centres | 509 |
| Total | 984 |
(9) Excluding persons in police cells and Scottish prisons; data on such persons are incomplete.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 0 to 3 months (10) | 594 |
| 3 to 6 months | 211 |
| 6 months to 1 year | 153 |
| over 1 year | 26 |
| Total | 984 |
(10) Includes and estimate of non asylum port cases detained.
Mr. Marshall-Andrews: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Prison Service is taking to investigate and resolve the unrest among asylum seekers held in Rochester Prison. [1328]
Ms Joyce Quin: Current unrest amongst the general population of immigration detainees held in Rochester prison is believed to centre on complaints about prison food, being locked in their cells for longer than normal and their access to education facilities being cut. However, no formal complaint has been received.
The meals and menus are checked regularly by the governor, the area manager, catering adviser and members of the Board of Visitors and have been adjudged wholesome and varied. The regime of the whole prison has been temporarily reduced because of the need to provide staff for a bedwatch on a prisoner in the Medway hospital, aggravated by a high level of sick leave. This has resulted in a reduction in the time out of cell of all prisoners and the closure of education facilities for the detainees. To compensate for this, wing-based education is being introduced for the detainees from Monday 2 June 1997 until a normal regime can be restored.
Drug Misuse
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has evaluated on the impact of drug misuse on crime; what representations his Department has received on funding for services relating to drug misuse; what impact the new
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methodology for allocating resources for drug misuse services will have on the level of funding allocated for East Lancashire; and if he will make a statement. [1440]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Home Office has a research programme designed to shed further light on the links between drugs and crime.
Recently evaluated projects include drug prevalence findings from the 1994 British Crime Survey, lifestyles of crack and heroin addicts in Manchester and public attitudes to drug-related crime.
The funding of services for the treatment of drug misuse is a matter for the Department of Health. No representations have been received by the Home Office on the new methodology for allocating resources for such services.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the outcome of his review of the primary purpose rule. [1125]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 22 May, Official Report, column 109.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum were determined in each month during 1997 to date; and in each month how many were rejected. [1124]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The requested information is given in the table.
| Month | Total decisions | Of which: Refused asylum and exceptional leave to remain |
|---|---|---|
| January | 3,260 | 2,580 |
| February | 3,090 | 2,410 |
| March | 2,845 | 2,410 |
| April | 3,390 | 2,945 |
| Total | 12,585 | 10,345 |
(11) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
(12) Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
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