Previous Section Index Home Page


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:

Offences currently(7) recorded as homicide where the victim was the spouse or former spouse, cohabitant or lover England and Wales

YearNumber
1988126
1989136
1990121
1991150
1992137
1993111
1994130
1995131
1996119
1997130
1997-98130
1998-99112

(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:

Number of BCS incidents of domestic violence, 1981 to 1999 England and Wales

Thousand
Number
1981292
1983288
1987443
1991538
19931,178
1995990
1997834
1999761

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.

Offences currently(8) recorded as homicide where the victim was a son or daughter England and Wales

YearNumber
198878
198946
199051
199166
199253
199353
199458
199555
199659
199752
1997-9849
1998-9969

(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.

A. Self-inflicted deaths and rates for Eastwood Park Prison by month, 2000(9)

MonthNumber of deathsRate per 1,000 inmatesRate per 100 inmates
January000
February000
March000
April000
May000
June13.3332.2
July000
August000
September13.6364.9
October000
November13.4335.6
December000
Total310.11,006.7

(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


B. Numbers of self-inflicted deaths in women's prisons in England and Wales 1997-2000(10)

Calendar Year
Establishment1997199819992000Total
Brachial--1124
Bullwood Hall1------1
Eastwood Park------33
Holloway--1214
Low Newton1------1
New Hall--1113
Risley1------1
Styal------11
Total334818

(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

Self-inflicted deaths by month 2000(11)

BrachialEastwood ParkHollowayNew HallStyalTotal
January----------0
February----------0
March1--------1
April--------11
May1--------1
June--11----2
July----------0
August------1--1
September--1------1
October----------0
November--1------1
December----------0
Total231118

(11) As at 7 December 2000


11 Dec 2000 : Column: 55W

11 Dec 2000 : Column: 55W

C. Rates of self-inflicted deaths in women establishments in England and Wales, 1997-2000(12)

Rate per 100,000(13)Number of deaths
1997112.13
199896.63
1999123.24
2000246.48

(12) As at 7 December 2000

(13) All women prisoners

Note:

Population figures taken from annual averages


Rate of self-inflicted deaths by month, 2000(14)

Rate per 100,000 (all prison inmates)Rate per 100,000 (all female inmates)
January00
February00
March1.529.5
April1.630.1
May1.530.2
June3.159.6
July00
August1.529.0
September1.529.4
October00
November1.629.1
December00

(14) As at 7 December 2000

Note:

Population figures are taken from monthly totals



Next Section Index Home Page