HC Deb 25 February 1985 vol 74 cc29-31W
Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were detained under Immigration Act powers for a period of more than two months on completion of a custodial sentence during 1984.

Mr. Waddington

Forty-one persons who completed a custodial sentence in 1984 were so detained under deportation powers. I regret that similar information relating to illegal entrants is not available.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of persons treated as illegal entrants who were granted temporary admission and release during 1984; and how many of these subsequently absconded.

Mr. Waddington

The numbers of persons against whom action as illegal entrants was commenced and who were temporarily released in the first three quarters of 1984 is given in table 13 of the quarterly Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Third Quarter, 1984" (Issue 27/84). Figures for the fourth quarter of 1984 will be published during the first half of March. Information about absconding is not readily available for the first part of 1984; I will reply as soon as possible giving such figures as can be supplied.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of passengers granted temporary admission upon entry to the United Kingdom during 1984; and how many of these subsequently absconded.

Mr. Waddington

Eight thousand five hundred and twenty-seven of whom 187 are known subsequently to have absconded.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost per day of detaining a person under Immigration Act powers in; (a) prison department establishments and (b) immigration service detention accommodation.

Mr. Waddington

The total cost per day of detaining a person under Immigration Act powers in prison department establishments is estimated at £34. The cost of Immigration Service detention centres is estimated at £115.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will provide, for the latest convenient date, a table indicating the number of persons detained in prison department establishments under Immigration Act powers by category;

(2) if he will provide, for the latest convenient date, a table indicating the period of time spent in prison department establishments by persons detained under the Immigration Act powers, showing the number detained for one, two, three, four, five and six months, respectively.

Mr. Waddington

On 15 February 1985, 151 persons were so detained: 101 were detained under deportation powers, 44 as illegal entrants and 6 were passengers who had been refused leave to enter.

The information requested about the period of detention is as follows:

Not more than Number
One month 81
Two months 30
Three months 20
Four months 6
Five months 5
Six months 1

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of passengers detained overnight under Immigration Act powers during 1984, by nationality.

Mr. Waddington

The information is not yet available for the whole of 1984. That for the first ten months of the year is as follows:

Number
Afghanistan 3
Algeria 47
Antigua 2
Argentina 8
Australia 12
Austria 11
Bahamas 1
Bangladesh 127
Barbados 1
Benin 1
Bermuda 2
Bolivia 2
Brazil 12
British Overseas Citizens 3
Bulgaria 1
Cameroon 3
Canada 6
Cape Verde 1
Central African Republic 1
Chile 6
China 7
Columbia 50
Cuba 10
Cyprus 17
Denmark 1
Dominica 1
Ecuador 2
Egypt 6
Ethiopia 5
Finland 5
France 3
Gambia 41
West Germany 8
Ghana 612
Greece 14
Grenada 1
Guyana 3
Holland 4
Hong Kong 42
Hungary 2
Iceland 3
India 492
Indonesia 3
Iran 95
Iraq 29
Israel 94
Italy 5
Ivory Coast 6
Jamaica 11
Japan 2
Jordan 10
Kenya 15
Korea 21
Kuwait 1
Lebanon 17

Number
Liberia 4
Libya 58
Malaysia 19
Mali 2
Malta 14
Mauritius 7
Mexica 9
Morocco 47
Mozambique 5
Nepal 3
New Zealand 4
Nicaragua 1
Nigeria 664
Norway 4
Oman 1
Pakistan 426
Peru 5
Philippines 63
Poland 18
Portugal 82
Romania 5
St. Lucia 1
Saudi Arabia 9
Senegal 2
Sierra Leone 17
Seychelles 1
Singapore 5
Somalia 4
South Africa 4
Spain 112
Sri Lanka 136
Sudan 11
Surinam 1
Sweden 11
Switzerland 9
Syria 19
Taiwan 1
Tanzania 11
Thailand 5
Togo 1
Tunisia 46
Turkey 118
Trinidad 1
Uganda 27
Uruguay 2
USA 109
USSR 2
Venezuela 4
Yemen 6
Yugoslavia 18
Zaire 1
Zambia 8
Zimbabwe 13
Nationality Doubtful 44

These figures do not include persons detained in Queen's Building, Heathrow. The statistics at this unit are kept in a different way and the information requested cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost. In 1984, 4,879 persons were detained there for some period, not necessarily overnight.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average length of detention for those received into Prison Department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1984;

(2) what was the total number of persons received into Prison Department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1984 by (i) individual prison establishments and (ii) nationality.

Mr. Waddington

Information for 1984 will not become available until the summer. No information on nationality is available.

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