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25 Jun 2007 : Column 329W—continued
Written Questions
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to answer questions (a) (i) 123879, (ii) 123878, (iii) 123877, (iv) 123875, (v) 123876 and (vi) 123961, on immigration and (b) 114916, on the emergency services, tabled by the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham. [128535]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member as follows: (a) (i) on 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 462W, (ii) on 20 June 2007, Official Report, column 1960W (iii), (iv), (v) on 16 April 2007, Official Report, column 462W; (vi) on 16 April, Official Report, column 460W.
My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mr. Coaker) replied to question 114916 on 5 June 2007, Official Report, column 404W.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to answer question 123878, on arrests at the liquid natural gas terminal in Pembrokeshire, tabled by the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham on 22 February. [135526]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 20 June 2007, Official Report, column 1960W.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he expects to answer question 124194, on identity cards, tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 26 February 2007; and what the reasons are for the delay; [144582]
(2) when he expects to reply to question 124194, on identity cards, tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South for answer on 28 February 2007. [135944]
Joan Ryan: I replied to the hon. Member on 19 June 2007, Official Report, column 1779W.
Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons women in Yarl's Wood Detention Centre may be denied (a) access to their mobile telephones and (b) access to satellite news broadcasts. [144839]
Mr. Byrne: Access to a mobile phone would be denied only during a period of temporary confinement away from the main accommodation areas. There has never been any attempt to deny the women at Yarl's Wood access to satellite television news broadcasts.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons women detainees at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre may be (a) handcuffed and (b) given medication when being taken to UK airports. [144840]
Mr. Byrne: Handcuffs can be applied following a risk assessment where the detainee is deemed to present a control or security risk. Only medication associated with an extant medical condition, properly prescribed at the centre would accompany the individual.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the (a) prices and (b) level of profit at the shops at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre are arrived at. [144841]
Mr. Byrne: Prices in the shop at Yarl’s Wood are set in line with the recommended retail price. The level of profit at the shop is capped at 10 per cent.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what access to medical care is available to detainees at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre. [144842]
Mr. Byrne: All detainees are seen by a nurse in reception on arrival at the centre. Within 24 hours all detainees are offered an appointment to see a doctor. Thereafter, a doctor’s surgery and nurses clinics are offered on a daily basis and operate on an appointment system. Secondary care is provided by the primary care trust and access to these services mirror those in the community.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the daily allowance is to detainees of Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre; and on what basis it may be denied. [144845]
Mr. Byrne: All detained adult persons receive a weekly allowance of £5.00. Children receive a weekly allowance of £2.50. Monies are credited on a daily basis at the rate of £0.71 for adults and £0.35 for children. The daily allowance is never denied.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what privacy is accorded to women detainees in Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre, with particular reference to male guards (a) entering rooms without warning and (b) searching rooms. [144848]
Mr. Byrne: All staff at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre receive training outlining the appropriate behaviour to be used when entering detainees’ rooms. All staff, both male and female, are advised to knock first and then slightly open the door after a brief while if no response has been made. They will then announce themselves and then wait again before entering the room. In cases of emergency, to preserve life or detainee safety a member of staff may have to enter a room without warning. All such instances are required to be documented.
In line with the searching procedures agreed by the Home Office, all rooms are searched on a regular basis as a requirement of the contract.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) women and (b) children have been detained in Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre for (i) up to six months, (ii) between six and 12 months, (iii) between 12 to 18 months and (iv) longer than 18 months; and if he will make a statement. [144850]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office publishes a quarterly snapshot of people detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter. The latest published information pertains to people detained as at 31 March 2007.
The accompanying table shows the number of women and children detained solely under Immigration Act powers in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre as at 31 March 2007 by length of detention.
Information on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers is published in the Quarterly Asylum Bulletins, on the Home Office’s Research, Development and Statistics website at:
| Persons recorded as being in detention at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers as at 31 March 2007, by length of detention( 1) | ||
| Length of detention( 2,3) | Number of women( 4) | Number of children( 5) |
| (1) Figures rounded to the nearest five (‘—’ = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of rounding. Figures exclude persons recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers. (2) Relates to current period of sole detention only. (3) Six months is defined as 182 days; 12 months is defined as 365 days; 18 months is defined as 547 days. (4) Females recorded as being 18 or over on 31 March 2007. (5) Persons recorded as being under 18 on 31 March 2007. | ||
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours in each day women in Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre are confined to their rooms; and in what circumstances this figure may be varied. [144851]
Mr. Byrne: Women at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre are not confined to their rooms at any stage during the day. All detainees are required to be in their rooms to enable a roll check but once this has been completed they are able to move freely within their accommodation units.
Justice
Association of Panel Members: Finance
Mr. Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (1) what discussions she has held on the funding arrangements for the Association of Panel Members; and if she will make a statement; [145422]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007, Official Report, column 976W, on the National Appropriate Adult Network: finance, what steps he is taking to support the work of the Association of Panel Members; and if he will consider meeting the Chair of the Association of Panel Members; [145455]
(3) pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007, Official Report, column 976W, on the National Appropriate Adult Network: finance, if his Department will consider the merits of providing similar departmental funding to the Association of Panel Members. [145477]
Bridget Prentice: Funding for referral panels is provided to Youth Offending Teams by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) which is in turn funded by the Ministry of Justice. The Youth Justice Board supports the work of referral panel members by providing training and guidance. In January 2007 the Association of Panel Members approached the YJB and inquired about funding. The YJB replied that no funding was available and although the matter could be reviewed at a later date, no commitment could be made regarding future funding. There are no plans for the Secretary of the State to meet the Chair of the Association of Panel Members.
Chelmsford Prison
Mr. Burns: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (1) how many places are available in Chelmsford Prison; [145613]
(2) how many prisoners at Chelmsford Prison share a room with (a) one and (b) two other prisoners. [145614]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Operational capacity at Chelmsford is 695. At unlock on 22 June the population was 692. 306 prisoners in total were sharing a cell with one other prisoner. No prisoners were three to a cell.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many inmates committed suicide in Chelmsford Prison in each of the last 10 years. [145615]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is provided in the following table.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will consider funding the Mentoring 4 U project in Chelmsford Prison. [145616]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The funding of offender learning and skills, including meeting the needs of those with learning difficulties and/disabilities—and those with dyslexia—is the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills and its agencies. Consequently, the Ministry of Justice will not be providing funding for this project.
I understand that the Skills Minister has written to the hon. Member directly on this matter.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are expected to be released from Chelmsford Prison under the recently announced planned early release initiative. [145929]
Mr. Hanson: I estimate that around 2,500 prisoners per month will be eligible for release on an End of Custody Licence. This is a national figure. Data are not currently available to break down this number by prison establishment.
Courts: Clothing
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will bring forward proposals for the reform of court dress, with particular reference to wigs. [145473]
Ms Harman: This is a matter for the Lord Chief Justice. He has been consulting on this issue and intends to make an announcement about judges' working dress in the near future.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (1) what the budget of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is for 2007-08; [145758]
(2) what budget surplus or deficit the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has recorded in the last two years. [145759]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The planned annual budget for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in 2007-08 is £187.749 million in resource DEL and £1.2 million in capital DEL. The near-cash budget is £225.789 million.
The budget is currently held by the Home Office and will transfer to the Ministry of Justice later this year.
CICA’s annual report and accounts 2005-06, laid before Parliament on 21 June 2007, shows (at page 15) that the retained surplus for the financial year 2005-06 after transfers from reserves and reversal of notional cost of capital was £5.290 million, while the deficit for
2004-05 was £45.335 million. Figures for 2006-07 are not yet available and will be subject to audit in the usual way.
Crown Court Cells
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether all inmates detained in Crown Court cells have been subject to cell sharing risk assessments; who has conducted such assessments; what level of training they had received; and if she will make a statement. [143417]
Mr. Sutcliffe: All court cells used are single occupancy only.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether all inmates detained in Crown Court cells have been subject to assessment for self-harm as laid down in Prison Service Order 2700; who has been responsible for such assessments; what level of training they had received; and if she will make a statement. [143418]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Prisoners previously held in prison accommodation will have been assessed in line with PSO 2700.
All prisoners, whether or not previously held in custody, have a “Prisoner Escort Record” (PER) form, on which issues giving rise to concern are noted. Contractor staff and the on-site constables are also able to open a Suicide/Self Harm Warning form or an ACCT form and take management action as appropriate. At each court a clinic is held each night by a qualified health care professional to identify and help address any health issues arising.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether all Crown Court cells used to detain inmates overnight were subject to risk assessments to ensure that they were suitable for that purpose; what assessment was made of the availability of ligature points in the cells and the consequent risks posed; who was responsible for carrying out such assessments; where the risk assessments records are held; and if she will make a statement. [143419]
Mr. Sutcliffe: All court cells used to hold prisoners overnight have been assessed by NOMS for health and safety issues, including fire risks. NOMS has also carried out an assessment of the staffing levels appropriate to each site.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what contingency plans cover the holding of prisoners in Crown Court cells overnight; who agreed the contingency plans; and if she will place a copy of these plans in the Library. [143420]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The use of court cells takes place only as a measure of last resort if accommodation in prison and police cells is exhausted.
Their use is underpinned by arrangements between NOMS, HM Court Service and other operational delivery agencies such as HM Prison Service.
These plans are for use as management information only.
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