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Drugs Misuse (Wales)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales to initiate policies to combat drugs misuse in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [1878]

Mr. Denham: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has an overarching role in monitoring progress against the United Kingdom drugs strategy, taking account of the distinctive substance misuse strategies in the other countries of the United Kingdom. However, it is the National Assembly for Wales which is responsible for setting and the strategic direction of the strategy in Wales and monitoring its progress.

The Assembly's Community Regeneration and Social Inclusion Unit maintains regular contact with officials of the United Kingdom Anti Drugs Co-ordination Unit and relevant Whitehall officials in other jurisdictions in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Shiblu Rahman

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the police's role was in the provision of emergency treatment for Mr. Shiblu Rahman on 1 April in Bow; if his murder is being regarded as a racial incident; what representations his family have made to the Metropolitan police and how they have responded; and if he will make a statement. [2719]

Mr. Denham: I am informed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the police's role in providing emergency treatment to Mr. Shiblu Rahman on 1 April in Bow was immediately to administer first aid on arrival at the scene, until a paramedic arrived.

The murder of Mr. Rahman has always been treated as a racist incident. Mr. Rahman's family have made representations to senior officers from Tower Hamlets borough, to the Serious Crime Group and to Commander Smith who is the Association of Chief Police Officers officer with geographical responsibility for East London. The family have expressed concerns as to the initial actions taken by the emergency services and these are being considered by senior officers within the Metropolitan police service.

Four people have been arrested and charged with the murder of Mr. Rahman, while a fifth person has been charged with aiding the principals.

11 Jul 2001 : Column: 534W

Wandsworth Prison

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide extra financial resources for HMP Wandsworth for improvements. [2530]

Beverley Hughes: In the current financial year, Wandsworth has received an additional £511,565 from the Spending Review 2000 (SR 2000) settlement for a range of measures against drugs, and other additional budget allocations for specific purposes. However, as part of the SR2000 settlement, the Prison Service has to make cashable efficiency savings of 1 per cent per year in its baselines, and Wandsworth's baseline has been reduced to contribute to this. The net effect of these changes is to increase Wandsworth's funding by £362,538 in 2001–02 compared to 2000–01. In addition, the establishment has been selected as a pilot site for national health service-funded mental health in-reach work to an estimated value of £252,000.

In the light of these changes Wandsworth is expected to contribute to efficiency savings while at the same time using the additional resources allocated to deliver more effective and targeted services. There is no prospect of further changes in Wandsworths' financial allocation in this financial year.

Electronic Tagging

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been electronically tagged in England and Wales. [2524]

Beverley Hughes: 47,462 people were electronically tagged in England and Wales between the start of the current electronic monitoring contracts on 28 January 1999 and 30 June 2001. At midnight on 30 June 2001, a total of 3,162 people were still being monitored.

Mentally Ill Prisoners

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will divert resources from the provision of further prison establishments towards the care of mentally ill prisoners in secure specialist premises outside normal prisons. [2532]

Beverley Hughes: In England, the provision of secure, specialist premises outside prisons for the treatment of mental illness is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. The National Health Service (NHS) plan, which he published in July 2000, contains a commitment to develop new NHS in-reach services for prisoners with serious mental illnesses. These services are being piloted in 12 sites in England, including Wandsworth prison, during 2000–01 before being implemented more widely. Alongside this development, the National Assembly for Wales is funding similar in-reach services in the four Prison Service establishments in Wales.

Commonwealth Visitors

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Jamaican, (b) Barbadian, (c) Guyanese, (d) Canadian and (e) Australian nationals were admitted as visitors during each month in (i) 2000 and

11 Jul 2001 : Column: 535W

(ii) 2001 to the latest available date; and how many of these, from each country, were admitted with leave for less than six months. [2520]

Angela Eagle: The available information is given in the table.

Visitors are only admitted to the United Kingdom for a maximum period of six months. The table shows visitors and business visitors for the requested nationalities up to April 2001, the latest available month.

Passengers admitted to the United Kingdom, by selected nationality and category, January 2000 to April 2001⁽³⁾Number of journeys⁽⁴⁾

	Jamaica	Barbados	Guyana	Canada	Australia
Visitors
2000
January	1,340	140	60	15,100	22,900
February	1,630	210	50	19,000	14,500
March	1,930	350	120	32,600	20,200
April	1,870	460	160	42,800	35,800
May	2,500	430	160	60,500	48,700
June	2,990	890	180	60,000	48,600
July	5,160	1,420	610	69,400	58,100
August	3,440	1,050	430	71,600	51,100
September	2,380	740	200	52,500	57,600
October	1,880	440	150	40,700	41,000
November	1,990	410	170	25,100	23,300
December	2,980	590	230	25,700	33,600
Total	30,100	7,130	2,530	515,000	455,000
2001(3)
January	1,700	200	80	16,300	23,300
February	1,920	200	100	23,700	13,500
March	2,340	290	240	20,100	19,200
April	2,260	310	250	36,300	32,900
	Business visitors
2000
January	50	20	10	6,610	3,470
February	90	40	10	6,960	3,990
March	170	70	(5)—	7,210	4,560
April	70	30	20	6,560	4,180
May	100	60	20	7,970	5,660
June	130	80	20	7,550	5,540
July	150	50	70	7,020	4,830
August	100	20	10	4,840	3,640
September	110	80	20	8,070	4,880
October	90	60	30	8,710	5,590
November	120	120	40	8,520	5,040
December	70	10	10	4,340	2,640
Total	1,250	640	280	83,900	54,400
2001(3)
January	100	40	40	6,770	3,950
February	140	60	10	8,080	4,280
March	140	60	30	7,580	5,170
April	100	60	20	7,720	4,610
Total visitors
2000
January	1,390	170	70	21,300	26,400
February	1,720	260	60	25,900	18,500
March	2,100	420	130	39,900	24,800
April	1,940	490	180	49,300	40,000
May	2,600	480	190	68,500	54,400
June	3,120	960	210	67,500	54,100
July	5,320	1,460	680	76,500	62,900
August	3,540	1,070	440	76,400	54,700
September	2,500	810	230	60,600	62,500
October	1,970	500	180	49,400	46,900
November	2,110	530	200	33,600	28,300
December	3,050	610	240	30,100	36,300
Total	31,400	7,770	2,800	599,000	510,000
2001(3)
January	1,800	240	110	23,100	27,200
February	2,060	260	100	31,800	17,800
March	2,480	350	270	37,600	24,300
April	2,360	370	270	44,000	37,500

⁽³⁾ 2001 data are provisional

⁽⁴⁾ Totals may not sum due to rounding. This is because all calculations are based on unrounded figures to ensure accuracy

⁽⁵⁾ Five or fewer

Note:

Data rounded to three significant digits or to the nearest 10 if less than 1,000

11 Jul 2001 : Column: 536W

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for extensions of stay were received in each month in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 to the latest available date by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate from (i) Jamaican, (b) Barbadian, (iii) Guyanese, (iv) Canadian and (v) Australian nationals admitted for less than six months as visitors; and how many were (A) granted and (B) refused. [2519]

Angela Eagle: The available information is given in the table and relates to people who enter the United Kingdom as visitors and subsequently apply for an extension of stay in another category.

The information relates to decisions on applications for an extension of leave to remain. The latest available data are for the period January to September 2000.

Grants and refusals of extensions of leave to remain⁽⁶⁾ in the United Kingdom to persons having entered the country as a visitor⁽⁷⁾, by selected nationality, January to September 2000⁽⁸⁾

					Number of decisions(9)
	Jamaica	Barbados	Guyana	Canada	Australia
	Grants of extension
January	560	10	10	20	40
February	480	10	10	30	40
March	580	10	10	30	60
April	380	10	10	20	50
May	470	10	10	20	60
June	630	10	10	40	60
July	500	10	10	30	60
August	460	*	*	20	70
September	400	*	10	20	60
Total January–September	4,460	70	70	240	500
	Refusals of extension
January	50	*	*	*	*
February	60	—	*	*	10
March	60	—	*	10	*
April	80	—	*	*	10
May	100	—	*	10	10
June	180	*	10	*	*
July	230	—	*	*	*
August	160	—	*	*	*
September	130	*	*	*	10
Total January–September	1,060	*	20	40	50
	Total Decisions
January	600	10	10	30	50
February	550	10	10	40	50
March	640	10	10	40	60
April	460	10	10	30	60
May	570	10	10	30	60
June	820	10	10	40	60
July	740	10	10	30	70
August	610	*	10	20	70
September	530	10	10	20	60
Total January–September	5,520	80	90	270	550

⁽⁶⁾ Excludes dependants of principal applicants, the outcome of appeals, and withdrawn applications

⁽⁷⁾ Includes students admitted for less than six months

⁽⁸⁾ Provisional

⁽⁹⁾ Totals may not add up due to rounding. This is because all calculations are based on unrounded numbers to ensure accuracy

Note:

Data rounded to the nearest 10 with * = 5 or fewer

11 Jul 2001 : Column: 537W

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