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Prison Suicides
Mr. Gunnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases involving suicides in prison establishments in the last 10 years the families of victims have sought compensation from the Prison Service; and in which cases compensation has been paid. [18842]
Ms Quin: Centrally available records do not provide information in the form required. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Algerians have sought asylum in the United Kingdom in 1997 to date; and how many have been (a) granted and (b) refused asylum. [18964]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is given in the table.
| Number of principal applicants | |
|---|---|
| Asylum applications | 545 |
| Total decisions(22) | 710 |
| Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum | 80 |
| Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain(23) | * |
| Total refusals | 630 |
(20) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 with "*" = 1 or 2.
(21) Provisional figures.
(22) Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the period.
(23) Usually granted for a year in the first instance, subject then to further review.
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 436
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made with the review of asylum seekers procedures. [18929]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The review team has made substantial progress and will shortly start drafting its report. Proposals will be submitted to Ministers in the new year.
Prisoners
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were being held on rule 43 in prisons in England and Wales on 1 November. [18961]
Ms Quin: The available provisional information is for 31 October 1997. On that date, the number of inmates held on Prison Rule 43 or Young Offender Institution Rule 46 were:
| Good order and discipline | Own protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Males | 468 | 1,297 |
| Females | 8 | 28 |
| Total | 476 | 1,325 |
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the age profile of prison inmates in England and Wales. [18960]
Ms Quin: The information requested is as follows:
| Age | Number |
|---|---|
| 15-17 | 2,451 |
| 18-20 | 7,659 |
| 21-24 | 11,808 |
| 25-29 | 13,753 |
| 30-39 | 17,184 |
| 40-49 | 6,528 |
| 50-59 | 2,880 |
| 60 and over | 963 |
| Total | 63,226 |
(24) Provisional figures.
Citizenship Applications
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality are under consideration by his Department. [18962]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: As at 30 November 1997, there were 75,015 applications for British citizenship awaiting determination, of which 35,518 were at various stages of consideration.
Stonnall Road Bail Hostel
Mr. Shepherd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the legal costs incurred by the West Midlands Probation Committee in its unsuccessful challenge, in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, to the decision of the Planning Inspector not to grant permission to extend the Stonnall Road Bail Hostel. [18877]
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 437
Ms Quin:
The legal costs incurred by the West Midlands Probation Committee in the High Court were £21,000. Provisional estimates are that the costs incurred in the Court of Appeal will be in the region of £13,000, to which any legal costs incurred by the Crown in the appeal would be added.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons funding has been withdrawn from the job focus courses at HMP Gloucester; and what alternative provision will be made available for inmates who are about to be released. [18928]
Ms Quin:
Job focus courses run at Gloucester prison and other prisons in England and Wales are funded by the Employment Service of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). A decision was made a year ago to cease funding for these courses and concentrate resources on people already in the labour market.
The current contract for the provision of the job focus course at Gloucester prison, involving a prison officer and a tutor from Gloucester College of Art and Technology, will cease on 31 March 1998. The governor of Gloucester prison will maintain the job focus club by continuing the involvement of the prison officer but does not have the resources available to replace the funding from DfEE for the tutor.
Help for ex-offenders from Employment Services will be available nationally through a number of measures including:
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the problems facing National Hunt racing; and if he will make a statement. [17991]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Government have not carried out their own assessment. We have seen the British Horseracing Board's assessment of the impact a hunting ban would have on National Hunt racing. There will be an opportunity to discuss this during the Committee Stage of the Wild Mammals (Hunting with Dogs) Bill.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car park spaces are provided for his Department's (a) Ministers, (b) employees and (c) visitors in (i) London and (ii) the United Kingdom. [19372]
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 438
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Home Office Central London Estate, which comprises six buildings, has a total of 155 car park spaces. Ministerial vehicles are parked in the outside courtyard of the Home Office. No other spaces are normally provided for Ministers. Eighteen are reserved for staff with medical or child care needs. The remainder are used for staff, visitors and contractors as appropriate to their needs. Figures for the rest of the Home Office estate could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by nationality the (a) men and (b) women who were being held in custody in England and Wales under immigration laws on 1 November. [18963]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The available information on persons held in detention in England and Wales under immigration powers as at 31 October 1997, but nationality and gender, is given in tables 1 and 2.
specialist advice and guidance from Employment Service staff to ex-offenders about their jobsearch;
allowing time spent in custody to count towards eligibility for Employment Service programmes;
maintaining Employment Service contact with prison authorities at local level to provide advice on programmes and services as part of a pre-release programme;
allowing prison staff to attend Jobclub leader training courses (where places are available) without charge;
continuing the availability of Jobclubs in prisons where all parties consider them to be useful.
(25) Persons detained in prisons or immigration detention centres.
(26) Excluding persons detained in police cells.
(27) The data are provisional.
(28) Figures for the Czech Republic may include persons holding Czechoslovakian passports.
(29) Formerly Zaire.
(30) Excluding Palestine and Hong Kong stateless persons.
8 Dec 1997 : Column: 439
| Nationality | Total detainees |
|---|---|
| Angola | 5 |
| Colombia | 2 |
| Czech Republic(34) | 2 |
| Ghana | 6 |
| Jamaica | 11 |
| Kenya | 4 |
| Nigeria | 18 |
| USA | 2 |
| Other(35) | 20 |
| Total | 70 |
(31) Persons detained in prisons or immigration detention centres.
(32) Excluding persons detained in police cells.
(33) The data are provisional.
(34) Figures for the Czech Republic may include persons holding Czechoslovakian passports.
(35) The category "Other" includes persons whose nationality is doubtful or for whom no nationality is recorded.
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