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29 Oct 2007 : Column 809W—continued
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many time-served foreign nationals are being held in (a) detention centres and (b) prisons; [161586]
(2) how many (a) British and (b) foreign national prisoners were detained in custody beyond the end of their sentence for (i) up to one week, (ii) up to one month, (iii) up to six months, (iv) up to a year and (v) more than a year in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [161619]
Mr. Hanson: The available information has been provided by the Border and Immigration Agency.
Lin Homer, the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 February setting out the position of foreign national prisoners in prisons and the immigration detention estate, as follows:
“The Home Secretary previously explained to the Committee that since April 2006 we have had to detain an increased number of foreign national prisoners beyond the expiry of their sentences where we are pursuing deportation action against them. The information we have shows that approximately 1,300 time-served foreign nationals are currently in both the IND Removals Estate and in prisons whilst we pursue deportation action against them.”
She will continue to update the Home Affairs Committee.
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals are held on indeterminate sentences for public protection. [161585]
Mr. Hanson: At the end of June 2007 there were 240 foreign national prisoners held on indeterminate sentences for public protection in all prison establishments in England and Wales.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisoners: HIV and Hepatitis B and C Infection
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of prisoners infected with (i) HIV, (ii) hepatitis B and (iii) hepatitis C in the latest period for which figures are available. [161623]
Mr. Hanson: The last major study of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevalence in prisoners in England and Wales found that of 3,942 prisoners surveyed in 1997 and 1998, 0.4 per cent. were infected with HIV, 8 per cent. with hepatitis B and 7 per cent. with hepatitis C.
Source:
Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C antibodies in prisoners in England and Wales: a national survey.
Weild A.R., Gill O.N., Bennett D., Livingstone S.J.M., Parry J.V., Curran L. (2000). Communicable Disease and Public Health 2000;3:121-6.
Prisoners: Per Capita Costs
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost per week was of keeping a prisoner in (a) HMP Armley Prison and (b) all prisons in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available. [159852]
Mr. Hanson: Costs for individual prisons are published in the annual report and accounts for HM Prison Service (HMPS). For 2005-06 the cost per prisoner week at HMP Leeds (Armley) is £422; the average for prisons in the same category (male local) is £480 and for all HMPS prisons £518. The figures published in the HMPS accounts are based on direct resource expenditure and do not include all costs related to prisons such as private prisons, property costs, IT and prisoner escort services. Including these gives an overall average cost per prisoner week of £698.
For 2006-07 the cost per prisoner week at HMP Leeds is £449; the average for prisons in the same category (male local) is £485 and for all HMPS prisons £513. An overall average for 2006-07 is not yet available.
Prisons: Drugs
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of prisoners who used intravenous drugs during their imprisonment in the latest period for which figures are available. [161622]
Mr. Hanson: The covert nature of injecting behaviour in prison makes it hard to measure but research suggests that around 2 per cent. of those using drugs in prison do so intravenously compared with the pre-prison rate of 35 per cent.
Prisons: Governing Bodies
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance is provided to prison governors on governor grades and excessive work hours; if he will place a copy of this guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [161517]
Mr. Hanson: The Prison Service’s policy on Work-Life Balance is set out in Prison Service Order 8010, Equal Opportunities. It recognises that traditional working patterns do not suit all staff and many have to balance their time at work against other priorities. The policy applies to all staff regardless of their status, rank or working location and can allow flexibility in working arrangements to suit an individual’s needs. I have placed a copy in the Library.
Prisons: Telephone Services
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what charges were made by each prison to inmates to use payphones in each of the last 10 years. [160665]
Mr. Hanson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. To provide a complete answer requires access to detail which is not easily available and requires lengthy consultations with contractors who provide both the public and private sector prisoner telephone networks.
Sexual Offences
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases have been brought under sections (a) 47, (b) 48, (c) 49 and (d) 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 since 2004. [160967]
Maria Eagle: Information on cases brought is not held by my Department. The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under sections (a) 47, (b) 48, (c) 49 and (d) 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in England and Wales for the years 2004 and 2005 can be found in the following table.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004.
Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in late November 2007.
| N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under Sections 47, 48, 49, and 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for the years 2004 to 2005 in England and Wales( 1, 2, 3) | ||
| Proceeded | ||
| Statute | 2004 | 2005 |
| (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. Source: Court proceedings database held by RDS - OCJR, Ministry of Justice | ||
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria are used to determine which cases the Solicitors Regulation Authority investigates further. [161378]
Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority has provided me with the following response.
The principal criterion the SRA uses to determine whether further investigation is required is whether there is sufficient evidence that there has been a breach
of the solicitors code of conduct with adverse impact on the consumer of legal services.
In May 2007, following a public consultation, the SRA published propositions for regulatory decision making. The aim of the propositions is to ensure that:
the quality of the SRA’s decision-making is maintained and improved
decision-making complies with the Government's principle of good regulation
decisions are made within a clear and consistent framework
the process and its outcomes commands the confidence of the public, profession and other regulators
These are now being implemented.
Solicitors Regulation Authority: Complaints
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the complaint procedure is for a solicitor's firm against the Solicitors Regulation Authority. [161380]
Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided me with the following information.
Solicitors who are not satisfied with the handling of their matter can complain to the team manager of the unit that dealt with their matter. The next stage, if still unsatisfied, would be for the solicitor to write to the quality consultant located in the SRA for a review of the matter. The final route would be to ask the Legal Services ombudsman who is independent of the SRA to review the case.
Solicitors Regulation Authority: Ethnic Groups
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many ethnic minority caseworkers are employed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority; and if he will make a statement. [161377]
Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided me with the following information.
There are 251 caseworkers with a responsibility for regulatory investigation The ethnic origin of those caseworkers is as follows:
| Number | |
Solicitors Regulation Authority: Training
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training Solicitors Regulation Authority caseworkers receive; what the length is of that training; and whether Solicitors Regulation Authority caseworkers receive training on interacting with local communities. [161379]
Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided me with the following information.
SRA staff, including caseworkers, are required to attend training, which includes issues of equality including cultural diversity. The nature of this training varies depending on the duties of the staff.
The SRA continues to review its training to ensure that it is updated and meets the learning needs of the organisation. Additional equality training has been provided for those caseworkers dealing with discrimination and service complaints.
Tribunals: Immigration
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many lay judges are available to sit on immigration tribunals at each of the 19 hearing centres in the UK. [161604]
Bridget Prentice: The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) does not make use of lay judges in its jurisdiction. The tribunal currently employs 53 non-legal members, who were previously entitled ‘Lay Members’, to sit in appeals across the hearing centres in the UK.
The majority of AIT hearings are conducted by a single immigration judge. A non-legal member will sit only as part of a panel.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to appoint more lay judges to immigration tribunals in Scotland. [161605]
Bridget Prentice: There are currently no plans to appoint additional non-legal members (formerly lay members) to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT).
The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 establishes the principles for the use of non-legal members in appeal hearings in the future.
The overriding principle will be that the use of non-legal members on a particular hearing should bring skills, experience or knowledge that tribunal judges cannot provide, and this will also be a key criterion for future appointments to the tribunal.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many lay judges were appointed to sit on immigration cases in Scotland in each of the last five rounds of appointments. [161606]
Bridget Prentice: Appointments are not made specifically to tribunals in Scotland—appointments are made to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT). The numbers of non-legal members made to the AIT (or lay members of the former Immigration Appeals Tribunal) for the last five years are as follows:
| Number | |
Under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 the general rules on composition of tribunals for hearings will be laid down by an order or orders made by the Lord Chancellor, with the concurrence of the Senior President and subject to parliamentary approval.
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