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8 Jun 2004 : Column 321W—continued
Iraq Refugees
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has (a) to institute a voluntary assisted return programme for refugees from Iraq and (b) to begin forcibly returning individuals to Iraq who have been refused refugee status and other forms of protection in the UK. [173215]
Mr. Browne: Since July last year the Home Office has been facilitating, without incident, the return of small numbers of Iraqi citizens who want to return home through the International Organisation for Migration. Individuals returning under this programme receive independent advice and practical assistance with travel arrangements.
We have also reached agreement with the Coalition Provisional Authority to begin enforced returns to Iraq. We are working to finalise the practicalities of the enforced returns programme, which we will implement as soon as the necessary arrangements are in place.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the status is of Iraqi individuals who were refused refugee status and other forms of protection in the UK in 2003. [173216]
Mr. Browne:
The current status of Iraqi asylum seekers, who were refused refugee status and other forms of protection in the UK in 2003, will depend on whether they have appealed against this decision, and if so what the outcome of the appeal was. If all appeal rights have been exhausted and no leave of any kind has been granted, these individuals will have no basis on which to remain in the United Kingdom and will be expected to return to Iraq.
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We are currently facilitating the return of those who wish to go home through the International Organisation for Migration. We have also reached an agreement with the Coalition Provisional Authority to begin enforced returns to Iraq, and will commence these as soon as the necessary arrangements are in place.
Life Prisoners
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are serving a life sentence; how many of these have served (a) less than 10 years, (b) between 10 and 15 years, (c) between 15 and 20 years, (d) between 20 and 25 years, (e) between 25 and 30 years and (f) longer than 30 years. [173103]
Paul Goggins: The number of life sentence prisoners/at the end of March 2004 was 5,553 and the table shows the life sentence population at the end of June
2002 by the length of time served.
| Number of persons | |
|---|---|
| All | 5,147 |
| Less than five years | 1,928 |
| Five to less than 10 years | 1,389 |
| 10 to less than 15 years | 819 |
| 15 to less than 20 years | 515 |
| 20 to less than 25 years | 299 |
| 25 to less than 30 years | 110 |
| 30 years and over | 86 |
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list prisons which accommodate life sentence inmates; what the capacity of each prison is; and how many and what percentage of prisoners are serving life sentences. [173104]
Paul Goggins: A list of prisons in England and Wales that held life sentence prisoners on 31 March 2004, together with the requested information, is given in the table.
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Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many current life sentence prisoners are detained beyond the expiry of their tariff for (a) less than five years, (b) between five and 10 years, (c) between 10 and 15 years and (d) more than 15 years. [173105]
Paul Goggins: This information is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of life sentence prisoners detained more than five years beyond the expiry of their tariff refuse to comply with penal and parole regimes that require the prisoner to admit their guilt or confront offending behaviour. [173106]
Paul Goggins: The information is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
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