House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Feb 2004 (pt 62)

23 Feb 2004 : Column 247W—continued

Prison and Probation Service

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered reclassifying the Prison and Probation Service as an emergency service. [152714]

Paul Goggins: The Government have not considered reclassifying the Prison and Probation Service as an emergency service and have no plans to do so.

23 Feb 2004 : Column 248W

Prisons

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors have been identified as accounting for the increase of self-harming incidents in prisons between 1999 and 2003; and if he will make a statement. [154176]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 10 February 2004]: In December 2002 new procedures for reporting self-injury were introduced in prisons in England and Wales. The evidence suggests that much of the increase in reported self-harm in 2003 may result from this rather than an actual increase in the incidence of self-harm.

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Beyond that, the reasons for any increase in prisoner self-harm may be related to the fact that the prison population includes a large number of prisoners with a combination of psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug dependency, family background and relationship problems, histories of self-harm and previous abuse, all of which raise their risk of suicide and self-harm. Additionally, the current operating environment is very challenging because an increased prisoner population and movement of prisoners puts a strain on resources and makes it more challenging to prevent suicides and self-harm. Long-term trends suggest that self-inflicted deaths have been increasing since 1988, broadly in line with the increase in prison population.

A number of intervention strategies have been introduced into establishments for people who self-harm. These include counselling, support groups, and specialised psychological interventions. A network of establishments has been set up to develop interventions, facilitate evaluation and share good practice, and guidance to staff on managing people who self-harm has been circulated to establishments.

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the costs, and what extra resources will be provided, to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's office when he takes on responsibility for investigating deaths of prisoners, residents of probation hostels and detainees in immigration removal centres from April. [150725]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 26 January 2004]: Provisional estimates of the costs are in the region of £1.5 million a year. The Ombudsman's office is working on the detail of the new arrangements in consultation with my officials. The necessary extra resources will be provided as part of the Ombudsman's funding for the next financial year. In the meantime, we have provided an additional £100,000 for start-up costs in the current year.

Released Prisoners

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the length of time in which released prisoners can apply for Housing Benefit. [148895]

Mr. Pond: I have been asked to reply.

All customers, including those leaving prison, may make a Housing Benefit claim up to 13 weeks in advance. Where there is continuous good cause for delay customers may also apply for their Housing Benefit to be backdated. We have no plans to change these arrangements at present.

Jobcentre Plus currently assist released prisoners by waiving labour market conditions for the first seven days of their claim and by providing pre-arranged work focused interviews through the Freshstart initiative. As many Housing Benefit applications are linked to claims

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for Jobseekers Allowance or Income Support, this helps to ensure that Housing Benefit claims are made as early as possible.

Royal Pardons

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many royal pardons of convicted criminals were agreed by the Home Secretary in each year between 1983 and 2003. [154575]

Mr. Blunkett: The two forms of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) used to grant pardons to convicted criminals are:

(1) Free pardon ("free" in this context means that the pardon is free from any conditions); and

(2) Remission (the mitigation of punishment by releasing a prisoner from having to serve some or all of the remainder of his sentence; or releasing one who has been subjected to a monetary penalty from the obligation to pay it or part of it).

The figures from 1992 are in the following table—Figures for earlier years are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Free Pardons Remission⁽⁶¹⁾

1992 19 42

1993 22 34

1994 12 29

1995 12 1

1996 1 4

1997 0 3

1998 0 0

1999 0 0

2000 0 2

2001 0 0

2002 0 3

2003 0 0

	Free Pardons	Remission⁽⁶¹⁾
1992	19	42
1993	22	34
1994	12	29
1995	12	1
1996	1	4
1997	0	3
1998	0	0
1999	0	0
2000	0	2
2001	0	0
2002	0	3
2003	0	0

Note:

These figures do not include the occasional use of RPM for small periods of remission to reward meritorious acts in prison (e.g. extinguishing a fire).

Russian Citizens (Asylum)

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Russian citizens have applied for political asylum in the UK during the past five years; and how many have been granted political asylum. [154685]

Beverley Hughes: The table shows the number of asylum applications and initial decisions for nationals of Russia (excluding dependants) in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and from January to September 2003, the latest period for which published data is available. Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to applications received in the same period.

Information on asylum applications and decisions is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2003, and provisional full year data, will be available on 24 February 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

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Initial decisions on asylum applications⁽⁶¹⁾ ^, ⁽⁶²⁾ ^, ⁽⁶³⁾ received in the United kingdom, excluding dependants, by year, nationals of RussiaPrincipal applicants

Initial decisions

Cases considered under normal procedures

Grants of:

Applications received Total initial decisions Asylum ELR HP DL Totalrefusals⁽⁶⁴⁾

1999 685 305 * 5 N/a N/a 55

2000 1,000 1,195 25 45 N/a N/a 900

2001⁽⁶⁸⁾ 450 895 20 40 N/a N/a 840

2002⁽⁶⁹⁾ 295 355 15 20 N/a N/a 320

Q1 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾ 70 95 * 5 N/a N/a 85

Q2 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾ 65 115 * N/a * 5 110

Q3 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾ 65 80 * N/a — 5 75

Initial decisions on asylum applications⁽⁶¹⁾ ^, ⁽⁶²⁾ ^, ⁽⁶³⁾ received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by year, nationals of RussiaPrincipal applicants

Backlog clearance exercise

Grants of ELR under backlog criteria⁽⁶⁵⁾ ^, ⁽⁶⁶⁾ Non compliance refusals under backlog criteria⁽⁶⁵⁾ ^, ⁽⁶⁷⁾

1999 190 50

2000 185 35

2001⁽⁶⁸⁾ n/a n/a

2002⁽⁶⁹⁾ n/a n/a

Q1 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾ n/a n/a

Q2 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾ n/a n/a

Q3 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾ n/a n/a

		Initial decisions
			Cases considered under normal procedures
			Grants of:
	Applications received	Total initial decisions	Asylum	ELR	HP	DL	Totalrefusals⁽⁶⁴⁾
1999	685	305	*	5	N/a	N/a	55
2000	1,000	1,195	25	45	N/a	N/a	900
2001⁽⁶⁸⁾	450	895	20	40	N/a	N/a	840
2002⁽⁶⁹⁾	295	355	15	20	N/a	N/a	320
Q1 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾	70	95	*	5	N/a	N/a	85
Q2 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾	65	115	*	N/a	*	5	110
Q3 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾	65	80	*	N/a	—	5	75

	Backlog clearance exercise
	Grants of ELR under backlog criteria⁽⁶⁵⁾ ^, ⁽⁶⁶⁾	Non compliance refusals under backlog criteria⁽⁶⁵⁾ ^, ⁽⁶⁷⁾
1999	190	50
2000	185	35
2001⁽⁶⁸⁾	n/a	n/a
2002⁽⁶⁹⁾	n/a	n/a
Q1 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾	n/a	n/a
Q2 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾	n/a	n/a
Q3 2003⁽⁶⁹⁾	n/a	n/a

⁽⁶¹⁾ Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2

⁽⁶²⁾ Decision figures do not necessarily relate to applications received in the same period

⁽⁶³⁾ Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions

⁽⁶⁴⁾ May include some refusals under non compliance grounds

⁽⁶⁵⁾ Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum backlog

⁽⁶⁶⁾ May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted

⁽⁶⁷⁾ May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds

⁽⁶⁸⁾ Revised figures

⁽⁶⁹⁾ Not applicable

Seaside Towns

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of crimes in each ward in each principal seaside town in England and Wales were drug-related, in the latest month for which figures are available, with figures for Welsh seaside town clusters disaggregated; and if he will make a statement. [154943]

Caroline Flint: There is currently no measure of drug-related offending at the local level. Existing data sources such as convictions, and recorded crime statistics are not available at ward level and do not contain information about offenders' drug use.

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