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Immigration Detainees: Prison Places
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many places have been offered by HM Prison Service, the Scottish Prison Service and the Northern Ireland Prison Service to the Immigration and Nationality Department for accommodating Immigration Act detainees and for what period; and how many detainees were detained in HM Prisons in each jurisdiction at the latest convenient date.[HL24]
Lord Rooker: Apart from the dedicated Prison Service immigration detention facilities at Haslar, Rochester and Lindholme, the Immigration Service is currently using approximately 430 out of 500 prison places in England and Wales made available by the Prison Service on a temporary basis.
As at 31 May, there were 1,144 immigration detainees held in Prison Service establishments in the United Kingdom; of which 428 were held in the dedicated detention facilities at Haslar, Lindholme
and Rochester, 16 were held in Northern Ireland, and 47 in Scotland. These figures will include some individuals detained under dual Immigration Act and other powers.Asylum Seekers: Hotel Accommodation
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What reports they have received about the suitability of the Thorncliffe Hotel, Heston, Middlesex, for the accommodation of asylum seekers; and how much it has cost, to the latest convenient date so far, to house in that hotel the passengers from the Ariana Airlines hijack plane which arrived at Stansted on 11 February 2000.[HL20]
Lord Rooker: The Refugee Arrivals Project, a voluntary sector body, is grant funded by the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers arriving at the three main London airports--Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Under the terms of their grant agreement, they are required to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that accommodation used conforms to all the relevant environmental health and health and safety legislation and regulations, meets current fire regulations and provides a safe environment for asylum seekers. From time to time, issues about the adequacy of the accommodation have been raised with the Home Office, but I am satisfied that conditions are acceptable.
It is not possible to identify the precise costs of housing passengers from the Ariana Airlines hijack plane in the Thorncliffe Hotel. Some of the passengers are housed in other property and part of the costs would have been incurred in any event under the terms of the agreement between the Refugee Arrivals Project and the Thorncliffe Hotel. The total accommodation costs for the passengers as at 31 March was £416,087.
Northern Ireland: Asylum Seeker Detention Arrangements
Lord Eames asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the current arrangements in Northern Ireland for those detained while seeking asylum in the United Kingdom are satisfactory; and[HL5]
What plans they have to establish a specialised facility in Northern Ireland for the detention of those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom; and[HL6]
Whether they are prepared to review the situation in prisons in Northern Ireland for the detention of those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom; and[HL7]
How many of those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom are at present detained in prisons in Northern Ieland; and[HL8]
What is the average detention period for those held in prisons in Northern Ireland awaiting decisions on applications for asylum in the United Kingdom.[HL9]
Lord Rooker: The Government accept that the current arrangements for detention under Immigration Act powers in Northern Ireland are not ideal. We have been reviewing those arrangements and, whilst there are at present no plans to establish a dedicated immigration detention facility in Northern Ireland, we are considering a number of options, including transfer to a detention centre on the United Kingdom mainland and using the current prison accommodation in Northern Ireland more effectively. No final decisions have been reached.
As at 31 May, 16 people were detained under Immigration Act powers at Her Majesty's Prison Magilligan and Her Majesty's Prison Maghaberry in Northern Ireland. No information is held centrally about the average length of detention for those immigration detainees held in Northern Ireland.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many persons are now detained in prison in Northern Ireland under the Immigration Acts; what have been the maximum and minimum numbers of detainees at any time since the current Act came into operation; and what has been the average and the maximum length of individual detention during that period.[HL1]
Lord Rooker: As at 31 May, 16 people were detained in Northern Ireland under Immigration Act powers. Information about average and maximum length of detention and maximum and minimum numbers of detainees is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Police Numbers
Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many police officers and civilian staff there are in total and in each police force in England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available.[HL115]
Lord Rooker: The attached tables show, for March 1997, March 2000, September 2000 and March 2001, total numbers of police officers and civilians for each police authority area in England and Wales, together with changes in numbers since March 1997 and March 2000.
On 31 March 2001, total police numbers, including secondments, in England and Wales were 125,519, an increase of 1,349, or 1.1 per cent, compared with the end of March 2000. This is the largest annual increase in police numbers since 1988-89.
Between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001, the number of civilian support staff increased by 1,361, or 2.6 per cent, to 54,588.
In total, there were 180,107 police officers and civilian support staff, compared with 180,169 in March 1997.
The substantial investment we are putting into the police services is delivering the improvements that we promised. The increase in police numbers since March 2000 is a direct result of the extra funding available to forces via the Crime Fighting Fund since April 2000.
| GOR | Police force | Strength 31.3.97 fte | Strength 31.3.00 fte | Strength 30.9.00 fte | Strength 31.3.01 fte | Change Mar 97-Mar 01 number fte | Change Mar 00-Mar 01 number fte |
| North East | 6,597 | 6,749 | 6,820 | 6,859 | 262 | 110 | |
| Cleveland | 1,459 | 1,404 | 1,421 | 1,407 | -52 | 3 | |
| Durham | 1,461 | 1,558 | 1,581 | 1,595 | 135 | 37 | |
| Northumbria | 3,677 | 3,788 | 3,816 | 3,857 | 180 | 69 | |
| North West | 17,588 | 17,153 | 17,110 | 17,295 | -293 | 142 | |
| Cheshire | 2,046 | 2,011 | 2,000 | 2,002 | -44 | -9 | |
| Cumbria | 1,144 | 1,084 | 1,048 | 1,048 | -96 | -36 | |
| Gtr Manchester | 6,922 | 6,795 | 6,767 | 6,909 | -13 | 115 | |
| Lancashire | 3,247 | 3,179 | 3,215 | 3,255 | 8 | 76 | |
| Merseyside | 4,230 | 4,085 | 4,081 | 4,081 | -149 | -4 | |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 11,750 | 11,200 | 11,189 | 11,234 | -516 | 34 | |
| Humberside | 2,045 | 1,932 | 1,905 | 1,917 | -128 | -15 | |
| North Yorkshire | 1,338 | 1,283 | 1,293 | 1,305 | -33 | 22 | |
| South Yorkshire | 3,159 | 3,163 | 3,184 | 3,197 | 38 | 34 | |
| West Yorkshire | 5,209 | 4,822 | 4,806 | 4,815 | -394 | -7 | |
| East Midlands | 8,436 | 8,206 | 8,350 | 8,427 | -9 | 221 | |
| Derbyshire | 1,791 | 1,777 | 1,780 | 1,823 | 32 | 46 | |
| Leicestershire | 1,949 | 1,993 | 2,010 | 2,033 | 84 | 40 | |
| Lincolnshire | 1,196 | 1,115 | 1,162 | 1,202 | 6 | 87 | |
| Northamptonshire | 1,177 | 1,117 | 1,166 | 1,157 | -20 | 40 | |
| Nottinghamshire | 2,323 | 2,204 | 2,232 | 2,212 | -111 | 8 | |
| West Midlands | 12,290 | 12,151 | 12,324 | 12,429 | 139 | 279 | |
| Staffordshire | 2,211 | 2,170 | 2,157 | 2,129 | -82 | -41 | |
| Warwickshire | 926 | 900 | 912 | 926 | 0 | 26 | |
| West Mercia | 2,040 | 1,887 | 1,906 | 1,951 | -89 | 64 | |
| West Midlands | 7,113 | 7,194 | 7,350 | 7,423 | 310 | 229 | |
| Eastern | 9,727 | 9,364 | 9,515 | 9,694 | -33 | 330 | |
| Bedfordshire | 1,094 | 1,028 | 1,006 | 1,036 | -58 | 8 | |
| Cambridgeshire | 1,302 | 1,237 | 1,266 | 1,296 | -6 | 59 | |
| Essex (1) | 2,961 | 2,806 | 2,780 | 2,887 | -74 | 81 | |
| Hertfordshire (1) | 1,759 | 1,767 | 1,961 | 1,922 | 163 | 155 | |
| Norfolk | 1,432 | 1,381 | 1,387 | 1,420 | -12 | 39 | |
| Suffolk | 1,180 | 1,145 | 1,115 | 1,133 | -47 | -12 | |
| London | 27,536 | 26,216 | 25,415 | 25,581 | -1,955 | -635 | |
| City of London | 859 | 732 | 720 | 703 | -156 | -29 | |
| Metropolitan Police (1) | 26,677 | 25,485 | 24,695 | 24,878 | -1,799 | -507 | |
| South East | 15,111 | 14,971 | 15,347 | 15,378 | 267 | 407 | |
| Hampshire | 3,452 | 3,419 | 3,435 | 3,435 | -17 | 16 | |
| Kent | 3,260 | 3,204 | 3,239 | 3,319 | 59 | 115 | |
| Surrey (1) | 1,620 | 1,785 | 2,113 | 2,066 | 446 | 281 | |
| Sussex | 3,085 | 2,822 | 2,812 | 2,855 | -230 | 33 | |
| Thames Valley | 3,695 | 3,740 | 3,748 | 3,703 | 8 | -37 | |
| South West | 9,424 | 9,313 | 9.354 | 9,541 | 117 | 228 | |
| Avon & Somerset | 2,989 | 2,934 | 2,941 | 2,960 | -29 | 26 | |
| Devon & Cornwall | 2,865 | 2,841 | 2,873 | 2,934 | 70 | 93 | |
| Dorset | 1,284 | 1,306 | 1,299 | 1,354 | 70 | 48 | |
| Gloucestershire | 1,133 | 1,114 | 1,142 | 1,173 | 40 | 59 | |
| Wiltshire | 1,154 | 1,118 | 1,099 | 1,120 | -34 | 2 | |
| Wales | 6,592 | 6,632 | 6,738 | 6,873 | 281 | 341 | |
| Dyfed Powys | 1,005 | 1,040 | 1,045 | 1,055 | 51 | 15 | |
| Gwent | 1,243 | 1,264 | 1,271 | 1,274 | 31 | 10 | |
| North Wales | 1,369 | 1,403 | 1,393 | 1,444 | 75 | 41 | |
| South Wales | 2,976 | 2,926 | 3,029 | 3,100 | 124 | 174 | |
| England & Wales (exc secondments) | 125,051 | 121,956 | 122,163 | 123,313 | -1,738 | 1,357 | |
| 2,107 | 2,214 | 2,384 | 2,206 | 99 | -8 | ||
| Total (incl secondments) | 127,158 | 124,170 | 124,547 | 125,519 | -1,621 | 1,349 | |
Notes:
1. As of April 2000, the Metropolitan Police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some ares to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
2. Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals.
Notes:
1. As of April 2000, the Metropolitan Police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
2. In the March 1997 figures, civilian secondments are counted within the figures for the forces from which they were seconded. The increased use of 1,577 civilians between March 1997 and March 2001 takes account of this.
3. Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals.
GOR Police force Strength 31.3.97 fte Strength 31.3.00 fte Strength 30.9.00 fte Strength 31.3.01 fte Change Mar 97-Mar 01 number fte Change Mar 00-Mar 01 number fte
North East 2,557 2,603 2,583 2,568 11 -35
Cleveland 609 595 598 586 -23 -9
Durham 583 590 573 566 -17 -24
Northumbria 1,365 1,417 1,413 1,416 51 -1
North West 6,267 6,994 7,007 7,066 799 72
Cheshire 735 823 870 833 98 10
Cumbria 451 469 505 588 137 119
Gtr Manchester 2,612 2,822 2,845 2,858 246 36
Lancashire 1,126 1,422 1,351 1,369 243 -53
Merseyside 1,343 1,458 1,437 1,418 75 -40
Yorkshire and the Humber 4,762 4,922 4,923 4,939 177 17
Humberside 718 840 783 808 90 -32
North Yorkshire 519 492 533 591 72 99
South Yorkshire 1,291 1,391 1,399 1,312 22 -79
West Yorkshire 2,234 2,199 2,208 2,228 -6 29
East Midlands 3,555 3,769 4,039 3,975 420 206
Derbyshire 723 826 865 875 152 49
Leicestershire 755 805 808 806 51 2
Lincolnshire 521 516 554 561 40 45
Northamptonshire 554 599 648 694 141 95
Nottinghamshire 1,003 1,024 987 1,039 36 15
West Midlands 4,819 4,991 5,132 5,261 442 270
Staffordshire 763 858 897 935 173 77
Warwickshire 376 394 388 412 36 18
West Mercia 942 1,043 1,026 1,095 153 52
West Midlands 2,739 2,695 2,821 2,819 81 124
Eastern 4,234 4,485 4,699 4,802 568 317
Bedfordshire 484 490 488 491 7 1
Cambridgeshire 607 503 543 614 7 111
Essex (1) 1,199 1,348 1,472 1,447 248 99
Hertfordshire (1) 818 890 948 935 117 45
Norfolk 603 655 651 694 91 39
Suffolk 522 600 592 621 99 21
London 13,840 10,890 10,382 10,273 -3,567 -617
City of London 347 285 235 233 -114 -52
Metropolitan Police (1) 13,493 10,605 10,147 10,040 -3,453 -565
South East 6,399 6,966 7,292 7,520 1,121 554
Hampshire 1,316 1,443 1,467 1,482 166 39
Kent 1,384 1,647 1,670 1,796 412 149
Surrey (1) 727 762 865 897 170 135
Sussex 1,149 1,328 1,405 1,454 305 127
Thames Valley 1,825 1,786 1,890 1,891 66 105
South West 4,122 4,512 4,581 4,715 593 203
Avon & Somerset 1,438 1,436 1,437 1,452 14 16
Devon & Cornwall 1,159 1,343 1,391 1,453 294 110
Dorset 615 686 681 682 67 -4
Gloucestershire 435 484 498 506 71 22
Wiltshire 475 563 574 622 147 59
Wales 2,455 2,457 2,686 2,706 251 249
Dyfed Powys 322 359 393 401 79 42
Gwent 452 498 490 537 85 39
North Wales 476 519 511 498 23 -21
South Wales 1,206 1,081 1,293 1,270 65 189
England and Wales (exc secondments) (2) 53,011 52,588 53,147 53,823 812 1,235
Total secondments n/a 639 708 765 n/a 126
Total (incl secondments) (2) 53,011 53,227 53,856 54,588 1,577 1,361
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