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15 Mar 2004 : Column 126W—continued

Deaths in Custody

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the people in custody who have committed suicide since 1 January including their name, date of birth, date of death, prison in which they died, the reason for imprisonment, date of sentencing and length of sentence they were serving. [161183]

Paul Goggins: As publishing such details can cause distress to the families of those bereaved by a self-inflicted death in prison, I will write to the hon. Member with this information in full.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides in custody have been referred to the Prison Ombudsman in 2004 for investigation. [161184]

Paul Goggins: Since 1 January 2004, one apparently self-inflicted death has been referred to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) for investigation. From 1 April 2004 the PPO will investigate all deaths of prisoners and probation hostel residents and any deaths of those held in immigration detention accommodation.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths in custody have occurred in the last 10 years as a result of a heart attack to which harsh treatment has been found to be a contributory factor. [158863]

Paul Goggins: With one possible exception in police custody in 1999 (in respect of which two inquests have failed to establish the exact cause of death), no heart-related death during the last 10 years in Police, Immigration or Prison Service custody has been related to "harsh treatment".

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Detention and Removal Centres

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place for medical examinations of immigration and asylum detainees who allege assault by members of staff of detention and removal centres, escorts, or other detainees. [157449]

Beverley Hughes: There is medical provision at all immigration removal centres. Initial medical examinations of immigration detainees who allege assault would be carried out by the centre's own medical staff. Detainees, or their representatives, can request access to independent medical advice should they so wish. In such circumstances the centres would provide facilities for these examinations.

Ms. Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Group 4 received a copy of the report completed by Steven Shaw on Yarl's Wood. [159900]

Beverley Hughes: I can confirm that Group 4 have been provided with a copy of Stephen Shaw's report concerning allegations of racism at Yarl's Wood as covered in the Daily Mirror article of 8 December 2003.

The investigation by Stephen Shaw into the fire at Yarl's Wood on 14/15 February 2002 is still ongoing.

Ms. Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees and ex-detainees were interviewed by Steven Shaw for each of his reports; and how many detainees in total were present on the day of the fire. [159901]

Beverley Hughes: With regard to Stephen Shaw's inquiry into allegations of racism at Yarl's Wood, I understand that 30 detainees were interviewed by members of the inquiry team. The Ombudsman also received written notes from some detainees regarding this matter.

The inquiry into the fire at the centre on 14/15 February 2002 is ongoing. I understand that Mr. Shaw's team has so far spoken directly to some detainees, received signed statements from others, and has reviewed all the statements taken by police during their investigation of the incident, which includes a large number provided by detainees.

On the day of the fire there were 385 detainees in Yarl's Wood.

Disorder Penalty Notices

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the penalty notice for disorder pilot. [160062]

Ms Blears: Home Office Research Findings summarising the findings of the interim evaluation report of the pilots of penalty notices for disorder scheme, which ran in four police force areas between August 2002 and September 2003, was published today. I have today issued a written statement welcoming the positive findings and placed copies of the findings in the Library.

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DNA Testing

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the DNA testing of (a) prisoners and (b) mentally disordered offenders conducted between February and September 2003 was on a (i) voluntary and (ii) compulsory basis; and if he will make a statement. [160204]

Paul Goggins: The DNA Prisoner Sampling Exercise between February and September 2003 aimed to take a DNA sample from all convicted offenders held in Prison or Mental Health Establishments, who did not have a DNA profile on the National DNA Database. Persons held in mental hospitals who had been found unfit to plead or acquitted of an offence on grounds of insanity were also included, if their DNA was not already held on the Database.

Sections 63(3B) and (9A) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (as amended) provide that a police officer may take a non-intimate body sample from a person who is convicted of a recordable offence on or after 10 April 1995. If the prisoner was convicted prior to 10 April 1995, there is no power to take a non-intimate sample unless he is a person to whom Section 1 of the Criminal Evidence (Amendment) Act 1997 applies. Section 63(3C) of the 1984 Act also provides that a non-intimate sample may be taken from persons who were detained on the order of the court, following their acquittal on the grounds of insanity or a finding of unfitness to plead.

Sections 63(3B) and (3C) of the 1984 Act provide the power to take a DNA sample whether a prisoner or patient volunteers to give one or not. If a prisoner or patient refuses to give a sample voluntarily, then the police can take one using reasonable force if necessary. Of the 3,772 prisoners and patients sampled, 87 prisoners initially refused to be sampled. 77 of these prisoners subsequently agreed and only 10 had a head hair sample taken non-voluntarily. Patients were only sampled if their doctor gave consent and the patient agreed to provide a DNA sample.

Drug Rehabilitation Schemes (Portsmouth)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been in drug rehabilitation schemes in the area covered by the Portsmouth Drug Action Team, in each year since 2001–02. [144499]

Ms Rosie Winterton [pursuant to her reply, 18 December 2003, Official Report, c. 1056W]: I have been asked to reply.

I regret that my previous response was incorrect, and the first paragraph should have read as follows.

Information on people in drug treatment services at drug action team level is collected centrally from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS). However, data broken down by drug action team areas for 2001–02 and 2002–03 have not yet been finalised and published.

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Drug Treatment and Testing Orders

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend drug treatment and testing orders. [159804]

Caroline Flint: Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) have been available to courts in England and Wales since October 2000. The commencement target has been increased from 6,000 orders per year between 2001–03 to 9,000 orders in 2003–04. This will increase again to 13,000 orders, including 1,000 of the new lower intensity variant, in 2004–05 and 16,000 orders, including 4,000 of a lower intensity, in 2005–06.

The DTTO will be replaced by the drug rehabilitation requirement of the new Community Order, when the relevant provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 are implemented.

Eastern European Arrivals

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Eastern Europeans have been granted (a) leave to enter the United Kingdom and (b) leave to remain in the United Kingdom pursuant to European Community Association agreements in each of the last 12 months. [161617]

Beverley Hughes: This information is not available in the format requested. However, I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 112WS.

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what ministerial instructions have been issued to his departmental staff on changes to requirements on Eastern Europeans seeking to enter the United Kingdom pursuant to European Community Association agreements. [161618]

Beverley Hughes: I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 112WS.

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the type of businesses in respect of which permission was granted in relation to Eastern Europeans for (a) leave to remain in the United Kingdom and (b) leave to enter the United Kingdom in the last 12 months pursuant to European Community Association agreements, broken down by number of each type of business. [161621]

Beverley Hughes: This information is not routinely collected. However, I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 112WS.

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