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Oakington Reception Centre
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide an analysis of the weekly unit cost of housing an asylum seeker at Oakington reception centre when the centre is operating at full capacity; what is the basis of the difference between the figures given in his answers to the hon. Member for Aylesbury on 14 April 2000, Official Report, column 292W and the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) on 26 October 2000, Official Report, column 217W; and if he will make a statement. [141482]
Mrs. Roche: The weekly cost of housing an asylum seeker at Oakington, when operating at full capacity, is expected to be £800. That figure includes contract costs for accommodation, supervision of detainees, security and costs of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) staff on site.
The purpose of Oakington reception centre is to deal quickly with asylum applications. This requires the presence on site of IND caseworking staff, although consideration of all asylum applications involves caseworking costs.
The cost of £527 a week given in the earlier reply was based on a preliminary estimate of the costs of running and the establishment and excluded the costs of IND staff.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to review the voucher scheme for asylum seekers. [141353]
Mrs. Roche: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Ms Jackson) on 27 November 2000, Official Report, column 446W.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported incidences of domestic violence there were involving (a) grievous bodily harm and (b) death for England and Wales in the years 1980 to 2000. [141688]
11 Dec 2000 : Column: 52W
Mr. Boateng: The information requested on reported incidents of domestic violence involving grievous bodily harm is not available. Offences recorded by the police do not separately identify domestic violence.
The most readily available information on the number of recorded homicides where the principal suspect is the current or former spouse, cohabitant or lover is as follows:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 126 |
| 1989 | 136 |
| 1990 | 121 |
| 1991 | 150 |
| 1992 | 137 |
| 1993 | 111 |
| 1994 | 130 |
| 1995 | 131 |
| 1996 | 119 |
| 1997 | 130 |
| 1997-98 | 130 |
| 1998-99 | 112 |
(7) As at 29 October 1999; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and courts as further information becomes available.
Some information on the extent of domestic violence against men and women is available from the British Crime Survey (BCS). The survey does not include grievous bodily harm as a category and, as a survey of victims, does not hold data on deaths.
The estimated number of incidents of domestic violence measured by the BCS is as follows:
| Thousand | |
|---|---|
| Number | |
| 1981 | 292 |
| 1983 | 288 |
| 1987 | 443 |
| 1991 | 538 |
| 1993 | 1,178 |
| 1995 | 990 |
| 1997 | 834 |
| 1999 | 761 |
Source:
1982, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 British Crime Survey
The number of victims reporting domestic violence incidents to the BCS is relatively low and results are subject to sampling error.
The 1996 BCS included a special self-completion component that addressed the extent of domestic violence in 1995. Respondents recorded significantly more incidents when asked about domestic violence via a self- completion module. This found a best estimate of 6.5 million 'domestic assaults' against men and women during 1995, and that 2.9 million of these incidents resulted in injury. A report is in the Library (Home Office Research Study No. 191).
11 Dec 2000 : Column: 53W
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been victims of domestic violence in each of the last 20 years. [141679]
Mr. Boateng: The information requested is not centrally available.
Information is available on the numbers of homicides where the victim was a son or daughter.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 78 |
| 1989 | 46 |
| 1990 | 51 |
| 1991 | 66 |
| 1992 | 53 |
| 1993 | 53 |
| 1994 | 58 |
| 1995 | 55 |
| 1996 | 59 |
| 1997 | 52 |
| 1997-98 | 49 |
| 1998-99 | 69 |
(8) As at 29 October 1999; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and courts as further information becomes available.
Child Prostitution
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of children involved in prostitution in each of the last 20 years. [141677]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not collect data on the number of children involved in prostitution. The hidden nature of this problem makes it difficult to produce reliable estimates of the extent of child prostitution. Those studies that have attempted to examine this have focused on particular geographic areas, but no accurate national data exist.
Suicides (Prisons)
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out (a) the number and (b) the rate per thousand inmates, of suicides at (i) Eastwood Park and (ii) all women's prisons, (A) in each of the last three full years and (B) in each month of the current year; and if he will make a statement. [141345]
Mr. Boateng: There have been three self-inflicted deaths at Eastwood Park this year. Overall deaths of women prisoners have totalled three in 1997 and 1998, four in 1999 and eight in 2000. Breakdowns in the form requested are given in the tables.
11 Dec 2000 : Column: 54W
The three deaths at Eastwood Park, like those elsewhere, were, or are, being investigated to assess the adequacy of suicide awareness procedures with a view to implementation of action plans to address deficiencies. The numbers of self-inflicted deaths among women prisoners are relatively low but unfortunately rising this year. The Prison Service is reconsidering with Ministers its suicide/ self-harm prevention strategy and an announcement will be made early in 2001.
| Month | Number of deaths | Rate per 1,000 inmates | Rate per 100 inmates |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 1 | 3.3 | 332.2 |
| July | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 1 | 3.6 | 364.9 |
| October | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 1 | 3.4 | 335.6 |
| December | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 10.1 | 1,006.7 |
(9) As at 7 December 2000
Notes:
1. The population figures are taken from end of month totals
2. The total rate was calculated using the end of October total population figures
| Calendar Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishment | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Total |
| Brachial | -- | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Bullwood Hall | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Eastwood Park | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 3 |
| Holloway | -- | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Low Newton | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| New Hall | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Risley | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Styal | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 18 |
(10) As at 7 December 2000
Note:
1999--one female prisoner died while in the custody of Prisoner Escort and Custody Services
There were no self-inflicted deaths at any of the following women's prisons during the period 1997-2000; Askham Grange, Cookham Wood, Drake Hall, East Sutton Park, Foston Hall, Highpoint and Send.
11 Dec 2000 : Column: 53W
(11) As at 7 December 2000
11 Dec 2000 : Column: 55W
11 Dec 2000 : Column: 55W
| Rate per 100,000(13) | Number of deaths | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 112.1 | 3 |
| 1998 | 96.6 | 3 |
| 1999 | 123.2 | 4 |
| 2000 | 246.4 | 8 |
(12) As at 7 December 2000
(13) All women prisoners
Note:
Population figures taken from annual averages
| Rate per 100,000 (all prison inmates) | Rate per 100,000 (all female inmates) | |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0 |
| February | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1.5 | 29.5 |
| April | 1.6 | 30.1 |
| May | 1.5 | 30.2 |
| June | 3.1 | 59.6 |
| July | 0 | 0 |
| August | 1.5 | 29.0 |
| September | 1.5 | 29.4 |
| October | 0 | 0 |
| November | 1.6 | 29.1 |
| December | 0 | 0 |
(14) As at 7 December 2000
Note:
Population figures are taken from monthly totals
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