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Asur Saribal
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the refugee status of Mr. Asur Saribal. [159494]
Mrs. Roche: A final decision concerning Mr. Saribal's immigration status will be made when we have completed our inquiries and considered all the issues which have been raised in this case.
Correspondence
Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 20 March on behalf of his constituent, Mr. W. L. Wainscott. [159210]
Mr. Straw: I am sorry that I have not yet replied to the right hon. Member's letter of 20 March on behalf of Mr. Wainscott. The delay has been caused by difficulties in locating case files which had been put into storage. I understand that these papers are now available and I will reply to the right hon. Member shortly.
Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 February 2001, Official Report, column 499W, when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive the reply which was promised. [159227]
Mr. Straw: I have replied to the right hon. Member's letter today. As the right hon. Member is aware, my Department had no trace of receiving his original letter. I am afraid that the copy was then misplaced. I am very sorry that the reply has been so severely delayed.
Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 15 February on behalf of his constituent, Miss R. G. G. Bird. [159212]
Mr. Straw: I am sorry that I have not yet replied to the right hon. Member. The delay has been caused by a sudden increase in the volume of correspondence on sentencing issues. I have written to the right hon. Member today.
Immigration Detainees
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those people currently held in detention under immigration law, indicating the number held in each (a) institution, (b) prison and (c) police station. [158973]
27 Apr 2001 : Column: 438W
Mrs. Roche [holding answer 26 April 2001]: The latest available information, relating to the number of persons detained under Immigration Act 1971 powers in each place of detention is given in the table. Information on persons detained in police stations is not held centrally and could be obtained only by examining individual case files at disproportionate cost.
| Location | Total detainees |
|---|---|
| Immigration Detention Centres(8) | |
| Campsfield House | 179 |
| Dover Harbour | 23 |
| Harmondsworth | 90 |
| Harwich | 2 |
| Longport | 4 |
| Tinsley House | 100 |
| Prison establishments(9) | |
| Acklington | 2 |
| Bedford | 5 |
| Belmarsh | 52 |
| Birmingham | 6 |
| Brixton | 14 |
| Canterbury | 4 |
| Cardiff | 49 |
| Chelmsford | 6 |
| Cornton Vale | 2 |
| Craiginches | 7 |
| Doncaster | 11 |
| Dorchester | 4 |
| Durham | 3 |
| Feltham | 6 |
| Forest Bank | 6 |
| Gateside | 45 |
| Glen Parva | 2 |
| Haslar | 135 |
| High Down | 69 |
| Highpoint | 2 |
| Holloway | 22 |
| Holme House | 50 |
| Leeds | 2 |
| Lewes | 2 |
| Lincoln | 2 |
| Lindholme | 105 |
| Liverpool | 76 |
| Magilligan | 12 |
| Manchester | 4 |
| New Hall | 2 |
| Norwich | 3 |
| Pentonville | 13 |
| Rochester | 172 |
| Wandsworth | 60 |
| Winchester | 47 |
| Woodhill | 2 |
| Wormwood Scrubs | 22 |
| Other Prison establishments | 12 |
| Oakington Reception Centre | 307 |
| Total | 1,743 |
(7) Figures exclude persons detained in police cells (other than at Dover Harbour).
(8) Figures include the use of police cells at Dover Harbour.
(9) The figures for Prison establishments may include some persons detained under dual immigration and other powers.
Prison Inspections
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decisions have been taken about the renewal of the contract of HM Chief Inspector of
27 Apr 2001 : Column: 439W
Prisons when the present contract expires; and if he will recommend the re-appointment of Sir David Ramsbotham for a further term. [158377]
Mr. Boateng: Sir David Ramsbotham was appointed for a period of five years, which expired on 30 November 2000. The terms of his appointment allow it to be extended for a maximum period of three years by mutual agreement. Sir David accepted an extension of his appointment until the end of July 2001. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 9 June last year that Sir David would retire on that date, 9 June 2000, Official Report, column 392W, and on 14 November that the post of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons would be advertised in the New Year, 14 November 2000, Official Report, column 638W. We are recruiting a successor to Sir David in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action was taken by (a) him, (b) his officials and (c) the Director of the Prison Service on receipt of Sir David Ramsbotham's recommendation that no more children should be admitted to two specified wings of the Stoke Heath Young Offenders' Institution to ensure that this recommendation was immediately complied with; what changes were introduced in conditions in those wings; and if children are now again being admitted to the two wings. [158375]
Mr. Boateng: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons inspected Stoke Heath in October last year following a difficult period of change. At the time a new governor had just been appointed. With the support of a new management team she immediately began overhauling the regime. Substantial improvements have been made which enable Stoke Heath to continue taking juvenile offenders. In particular:
- The numbers of adjudications and applications (i.e. requests and complaints) have fallen since October.
- The report counted with alleged assaults all incidents needing completions of an injury or near miss form. The total has been halved.
- A new anti-bullying unit, supported by confidential questionnaires, is dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
- In-cell television has been introduced, leading to a marked improvement in behaviour and in the management of vulnerable trainees. Fewer trainees are harming themselves and there is much less shouting between cells.
- First Night Care Officers have been introduced to deal with newly-arrived trainees.
- Stoke Heath is meeting and exceeding Prison Service accredited education targets.
Women Prisoners (Children)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women sent to prison in England and Wales during the last 12 months had children under the age of five years at the time they were sentenced. [158386]
27 Apr 2001 : Column: 440W
Mr. Boateng: Details of the number and ages of children are not recorded on the Prison Service's Inmate Information System. However a survey to determine the level of demand for places in mother and baby units was undertaken in October 2000. Provisional results from the survey show that there were approximately 380 female prisoners with children aged under the age of five. The total female prison population at the end of October 2000 was 3,433.
Raymond Morris
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what tariff has been set for the imprisonment of Raymond Morris, a life sentence prisoner. [158568]
Mr. Boateng: Raymond Morris' tariff was set at 25 years. It is now expired.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Chelmsford Job Centre
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many job vacancies were notified to the Chelmsford Job Centre in each of the last six months. [158189]
Ms Jowell [holding answer 23 April 2001]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mark Neale to Mr. Simon Burns, dated April 2001:
- As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked Leigh Lewis to reply to your question about the number of job vacancies notified to the Chelmsford Jobcentre in each of the last six months. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mr Lewis as Chief Executive of the Agency. I am replying on Mr Lewis' behalf.
- Vacancies notified to Chelmsford Jobcentre were as followed:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| October 2000 | 469 |
| November 2000 | 770 |
| December 2000 | 311 |
| January 2001 | 651 |
| February 2001 | 706 |
| March 2001 | 915 |
I hope this is helpful.
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