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3 July 2006 : Column 875W—continued
| Table 3: Recorded offences of violent crime in Cumbria( 1) | |
| Number of offences | |
| (1) In April 2002, the National Crime Recording Standard was introduced. Data are therefore not comparable with those for earlier years. | |
Damages
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2882W, on damages, how many cases of damages were paid out by his Department for the last year in which figures are available; and what the total sum paid was. [68687]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Elliot House
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department since what date sex offenders have been housed in Elliot House in Birmingham; what causes for concern have been drawn to his Department’s attention since that time; what his rationale is for deciding that such offenders should no longer be housed in this hostel; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the risk of their re-offending is minimised. [80055]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Elliott House opened as a bail hostel in June 1993 and, from the outset, accommodated individuals on bail with mental disorders. In June 1994, it was re-designated as a probation and bail hostel. In August 2001, it was re-designated as an approved premises, this permits the site to be used for accommodating persons granted bail in criminal proceedings and persons convicted of offences in connection with their supervision or rehabilitation. Since Elliott House opened in June 1993, it has housed a range of individuals including those either charged with sex offences and on bail or, since August 2001, those on licence from custody having been convicted of sex offences.
The Home Department has not collated any concerns that have been raised about the presence of sex offenders in Elliott House. There has been no recorded incident of sexual offending by any resident against the community.
Certain sex and violent offenders are accommodated in approved premises in order to provide public protection. Offenders may be closely monitored and supervised in approved premises, in order to ensure compliance with their licence conditions and to ensure that swift enforcement action is taken, where offenders’ behaviour presents a risk of harm to the public.
It is important that the public feels secure. In order to maintain public confidence in our systems for managing the risks posed by such offenders, it was decided that
child sex offenders should no longer be housed in approved premises that are immediately adjacent to schools and nurseries.
Offenders will be moved from Elliott House following a thorough risk assessment once suitable alternative accommodation has been found, where supervision and treatment may continue. The supervision and treatment are both necessary to address the offender’s risk of re-offending.
Foreign Criminals
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign offenders have been released from prisons in (a) Scotland and (b) Northern Ireland without being considered for deportation in each of the last eight years; and for what offences each was originally convicted. [77128]
John Reid: I refer the right hon. Member to the most recent written ministerial statement of 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 77WS. I set out in this statement the eight priority areas for management action to deliver our long term agenda for change on radically improving the system for deporting foreign national prisoners. The sixth point deals specifically with the position in Scotland and Northern Ireland concerning foreign national prisoners. We shall update the House with our progress on this point shortly.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign criminals released from prison in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years have been recommended for deportation but have not yet been deported. [69294]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 9 May 2006]: I refer the hon. Lady to the most recent written ministerial statement of 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 77WS. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in this statement the eight priority areas for management action to deliver our long term agenda for change on radically improving the system for deporting foreign national prisoners. The sixth point deals specifically with the position in Scotland and Northern Ireland concerning foreign national prisoners. We shall update the House with our progress on this point shortly.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many foreign nationals convicted of serious offences and serving sentences in Scottish prisons who were recommended for deportation by a court were subsequently (a) deported and (b) released since January 1999; [67592]
(2) when he first raised the issue of release of foreign national criminals with (a) the Scottish Prison Service and (b) the Scottish Executive; and what discussions his Department had with each on the matter. [67590]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answers 2 May 2006]: I refer the hon. Member to the most recent written ministerial statement of 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 77WS. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in this statement the eight priority areas for management action to deliver our long-term agenda for change on
radically improving the system for deporting foreign national prisoners. The sixth point deals specifically with the position in Scotland and Northern Ireland concerning foreign national prisoners. We shall update the House with our progress on this point shortly.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals convicted of serious offences (a) are serving a sentence in Scottish prisons and (b) have served sentences in Scottish prisons since January 1999. [67617]
Mr. Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the most recent written ministerial statement of 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 77WS. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in this statement the eight priority areas for management action to deliver our long-term agenda for change on radically improving the system for deporting foreign national prisoners. The sixth point deals specifically with the position in Scotland and Northern Ireland concerning foreign national prisoners. We shall update the House with our progress on this point shortly.
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners were released from Scottish prisons in each year from 1999-2000 to 2004-05. [75861]
Mr. Byrne: I refer my hon. Friend to the most recent written ministerial statement of 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 77WS. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in this statement the eight priority areas for management action to deliver our long term agenda for change on radically improving the system for deporting foreign national prisoners. The sixth point deals specifically with the position in Scotland and Northern Ireland concerning foreign national prisoners. We shall update the House with our progress on this point shortly.
Hollesley Bay Prison (Absconded Prisoners)
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have absconded from Hollesley Bay Prison in each of the last five years. [73429]
Mr. Sutcliffe: There have been 106 absconds from Hollesley Bay open prison in the last five years. Details of these are shown in the following table.
| Absconds from HMP Hollesley Bay 2001-02 and 2005-06 | |
| Total number of absconds | |
Human Trafficking
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what range of sentences were given in cases involving human trafficking in each of the last five years. [78809]
Mr. Coaker
[holding answer 20 June 2006]: We have introduced comprehensive legislation to criminalise trafficking in human beings. The Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force in May 2004, introduces
new, wide-ranging offences covering trafficking into, within, and out of the UK for any form of sexual exploitation. A new offence of “trafficking people for exploitation” covering forced labour, removal of organs and the trafficking of vulnerable people, including children, is included in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Act 2004 and came into force in December 2004. Prior to 2003, the Immigration Act 1971 was adopted for trafficking offences. There was one conviction in 2003 under that piece of legislation. In that case the defendant received a sentence of 10 years. This sentence was increased on appeal in 2004 to 23 years by the court of appeal on application by the Attorney-General as it was deemed unduly lenient.
In 2004 sentences for trafficking offences ranged from six to 18 years. In 2005 sentences for trafficking offences ranged from four to 21 years. In 2006 sentences for trafficking offences have so far ranged from four to seven years.
To date no convictions have been achieved for trafficking for labour exploitation.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prosecutions have been successfully concluded for people trafficking; and what the nationality was of those convicted of this offence in cases where proceedings are complete. [77907]
Mr. Coaker: To date there have been 29 convictions for trafficking for sexual exploitation under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in 15 different cases. Prior to 2003, the Immigration Act 1971 was adopted for trafficking offences. There was one conviction in 2003 under that piece of legislation. The nationalities of the people convicted of trafficking offences are Albanian, Kosovan, Macedonian, Lithuanian, Turkish, Chinese, Moldovan and Thai.
To date there have been no convictions for trafficking for labour exploitation under the Asylum and Immigration (treatment of claimants etc) Act 2004.
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate have (a) resigned and (b) been sacked in each of the last 36 months. [76192]
Mr. Byrne: The following data provide the numbers of employees who have left the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in each year. Reliable data on leavers broken down by month or prior to January 2004 can be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department excluding dismissals.
| Leavers( 1) | |
| (1) Data include all leavers including resignations, retirements, end of contract etc. and will include agency staff, many of whom will leave at the end of their contract and possibly re-join the organisation. (2) Data from 1 January 2006 to 18 June 2006. | |
| Number of employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate who have been dismissed( 1) in each month from January 2005 to May 2006( 2) | |
| Dismissals | |
| (1) The data for dismissals include all dismissals for misconduct, poor performance, and poor attendance. (2) Reliable data on dismissals prior to January 2005 can be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department. | |
London Bombings Inquiry
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had in the last month about a public inquiry into the 7 July bombings; and if he will make a statement. [80835]
Mr. McNulty: The Government have carefully considered the possibility of a public inquiry into the 7 July London bombings but have concluded that this would not add to our understanding of the causes of those atrocities. The Government continue to hold this view. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and officials in my Department have had a number of discussions on this issue recently with families of the victims of the bombings.
A number of parliamentary and other inquiries (some of which are complete and some of which are on-going) address specific aspects of the events. A public inquiry would divert resources at a time when the police and agencies are actively engaged in the continuing investigation into the events of 7 July and the detection and prevention of further atrocities.
Mohamed Kargbo
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the application by Mr. Mohamed Kargbo, of Christchurch (reference: K414597) for indefinite leave to remain, received by his Department on 24 June 2004, will be determined; and if he will make a statement. [76132]
Mr. Byrne: Officials from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to Mr. Kargbo’s legal representatives on 23 June 2006 with details of the outcome of his application.
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