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Prisoner Release: Foreigners

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many foreign nationals were released from prison in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [206893]

Paul Goggins: Prior to July 2006 statistics are only available on those foreign national prisoners released from Northern Ireland prisons who were serving a sentence of 12 months or more. (This was in line with the requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Department.)

According to NIPS records between January 2000 to January 2004, nine foreign national prisoners in this category were released, of whom four were released into IND custody for consideration for removal or deportation, following notification of IND by the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Between January 2004 and June 2006, 16 foreign national prisoners of this category were released, of whom seven were similarly released into IND custody.

Between July 2006 and June 2007 26 foreign national prisoners, whether sentenced or remand, were released, of whom 21 were released into IND custody for consideration for removal or deportation. Of the remainder:

72 were released time served;

96 were released on bail;

25 were discharged by the court;

11 were released fine paid;

One was released by hospital order.

From July 2007 to April 2008, 242 foreign national prisoners were released of whom 41 were released to
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the Borders and Immigration Agency for consideration for removal or deportation. Of the remainder:

101 were released time served;

72 were released on bail;

18 were discharged by the court;

Eight were released fine paid;

Two were released by hospital order.

These figures include immigration detainees held on immigration warrants.

Suicide: Belfast

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people committed suicide in Belfast North constituency in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) age and (b) sex; and how many of these deaths involved the use of firearms. [207678]

Paul Goggins: Information on deaths, including suicides, is held by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, which is an agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel within the Northern Ireland Executive.

Justice

Bail

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants were charged with violence against the person, sexual offences or robbery in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; how many and what proportion of those so charged were (a) granted and (b) refused bail; and what condition of schedule 1 of the Bail Act 1976 was cited as the reason not to grant bail in each case for which such information is available. [206495]

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against for violence against the person offences, sexual offences and robbery in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2006 is in table 1. Charging data are not collected centrally by my Department; data relating to those defendants proceeded against have been supplied instead.

Data showing the number of defendants remanded on bail by the courts for offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery, in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be found in table 2. The data include those held in custody at any stage during proceedings. Bail data broken down by offence group prior to 2004 are not collated centrally. The bail data supplied relate to the offence at the outcome of court proceedings, which may differ from the original charged offence. These data are taken from the 'Criminal Statistics, England and Wales' publications, 2004-06.

The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same
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disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

It is not possible to provide information on the proportion of those proceeded against who were bailed, as the data to compile the proportion are on different bases, and therefore are not comparable. Data on the number of persons refused bail and the reasons for refusal are not collected by my Department.

Table 1: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for violence against the person offences, sexual offences and robbery, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 1, 2)
	Offence type
	Violence against the person	Sexual offences	Robbery
1997	70,561	7,028	10,781
1998	75,243	7,763	10,450
1999	75,315	7,817	10,321
2000	75,502	7,263	12,142
2001	76,706	8,424	14,871
2002	78,446	9,102	15,644
2003	79,612	9,121	13,732
2004	71,752	9,579	12,404
2005	68,172	9,711	12,526
2006	64,763	9,074	13,226
(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. Source: Court Proceedings Database.

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Table 2: Estimated number of persons remanded on bail for selected offence groups, at magistrates or the Crown court, England and Wales, 2004-06( 1)
Type of offence	Total number bailed at all courts( 2, 3 ) (thousand)
Violence against the person( 4)
2004	71.8
2005	67.1
2006	64.8
Sexual offences( 4)
2004	10.8
2005	10.5
2006	10.1
Robbery( 4)
2004	10.6
2005	9.3
2006	9.8
(1 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Includes those also held in custody at some stage and those failing to appear to bail. (3) Excludes defendants reported as failing to appear to a summons although some of these cases, having been initiated by a summons may have resulted in the defendant being remanded on bail. (4) The offence is that which the defendant is acquitted or convicted of, which may differ from the original offence the defendant was charged with. Note: 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. Source: Court Proceedings Database.

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of (a) defendants released on bail and (b) defendants charged with violence against the person, sexual offences or robbery and then released on bail (i) failed to turn up for sentencing and (ii) broke their bail conditions in other ways in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [206496]

Maria Eagle: Data showing the estimated number of persons remanded on bail by the courts, and subsequently failing to appear to bail at court, in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006 (latest available) can be found in the following table. The data include those held in custody at some stage during proceedings. A breakdown by offence group is available only for 2004 onwards. These data are taken from the 'Criminal Statistics, England and Wales' publications, 1997-2006.

Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not distinguish between those failing to appear at court for sentencing and those failing to appear at court at other stages during proceedings. Additionally, the data do not identify other breaches of bail conditions.

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Estimated number of persons remanded on bail and failing to appear, at magistrates or the Crown court, 1997-2006( 1) , England and Wales
Type of offence	Total number bailed at all courts( 2, 3 ) (thousand)	Number failing to appear to bail (thousand)	Percentage of those bailed failing to appear
Violence against the person( 4)
2004	71.8	6.5	9
2005	67.1	5.7	8
2006	64.8	5.5	9
Sexual offences( 4)
2004	10.8	0.5	4
2005	10.5	0.5	5
2006	10.1	0.5	5
Robbery( 4)
2004	10.6	0.8	8
2005	9.3	0.7	7
2006	9.8	0.7	7
All offences
1997	601.4	68.5	11
1998	640.2	74.9	12
1999	593.7	73.9	12
2000	583.1	72.7	12
2001	598.7	77.7	13
2002	585.5	87.3	15
2003	598.7	83.7	14
2004	633.0	83.8	13
2005	590.0	72.3	12
2006	562.3	67.2	12
(1) These data are on the principal offence basis. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Includes those also held in custody at some stage and those failing to appear to bail. (3 )Excludes defendants reported as failing to appear to a summons although some of these cases, having been initiated by a summons may have resulted in the defendant being remanded on bail. (4) The offence is that which the defendant is acquitted or convicted of, which may differ from the original offence the defendant was charged with. Note: 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. Source: Court Proceedings Database.

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