§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of petitions sent to his Department by inmates in prison in England and Wales in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe information requested is as follows:
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Number 1985 14,323 1986 15,528 1987 14,580 consultancy contract extant in his Department as at 1 January 1987, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment.
§ Mr. HurdThe following management or computer consultancy contracts awarded by the Home Office were extant on 1 January 1987:
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on the transfer of foreign nationals serving prison sentences in prisons in the United Kingdom to their own country to serve their sentences; how often this has taken place in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Kingdom is a party to the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons, together with 11 other member states and Finland, Canada and the United States of America. We would normally agree to transfer under the convention unless that would result in significantly earlier release than would have been possible in the United Kingdom, or there are compelling reasons of public policy for refusal. No petitions for transfer from the United Kingdom have so far been refused.
The convention came into force in the United Kingdom on 1 August 1985. Eleven prisoners were transferred in the year ended 31 July 1986, six in the year ended 31 July 1987, and 10 in the 11 months ended 30 June 1988.