HC Deb 25 January 1990 vol 165 cc885-7W
Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each of the last 12-month periods from October 1986, how many deportation orders were found

The names of these five members, and information as to the capacities in which they sit as members of the levy board and their periods of appointment, are as follows:

to be invalid subsequent to the signing of the order; and for what reasons and in how many cases the orders were revoked or withdrawn following representations.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.

Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each year for which records are available how many times senior executive officers or members of the Home Office case working section have changed decisions to deport when they have been authorised by immigration inspectors.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

A study of the cases handled by the immigration service between 1 August 1988 and 31 July 1989 has shown that up to 5 September 1989, a total of 22 of the 2,096 decisions taken by inspectors had been changed by members of the Home Office deportation section.

Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each 12-month period from June 1985 how many notices of intention to deport have been issued under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971(a) for working in breach of condition and (b) for breach of limited leave to enter; of these, how many have been initiated by the deportation case working section of the Home Office; how many by immigration officers and/or inspectors; of the total, how many resulted in removal from the United Kingdom; and how many deportees were then permitted to remain.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The readily available information about the number of notices of intention to deport issued and the number of deportation orders enforced under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 is published in table 24 of the Home Office volume "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1988" (Cmnd. 726) and in table 14 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 45/89 "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Third Quarter 1989", copies of which are available in the Library.

The breakdown of information between overstayers and workers in breach is not available before August 1988. In the 12 months ending June 1989, a total of 2,666 notices of intention to deport were issued under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971, of which 713 were authorised by the deportation section for overstaying; 1,953 were authorised by inspectors of which 1,295 were for overstaying and 658 for working in breach. Information about these subsequently permitted to remain is not available.

Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how immigration officers and inspectors obtain access to Home Office information and representations in respect of intended deportees; and when the officers seek authorisation from inspectors to serve a notice of intention to deport.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

In some cases information is available to the immigration service before inquiries are initiated. In other cases it may be obtained by telephone, or the decision will be deferred until the information is available. All members of the immigration service engaged in enforcement work are aware that they must not reach a decision until satisfied that all the relevant information has been taken into account.

Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) of cases referred by immigration officers to immigration inspectors for authorisation to serve a notice of intention to deport for breach of condition or overstaying under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971, on how many occasions immigration inspectors have declined to give authorisation in each six-month period for the last five years;

(2) of cases referred by immigration officers to the Home Office deportation case working section for authorisation to serve a notice of intention to deport under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971, on how many occasions the case working section has declined to give authorisation in each six-month period for the last five years.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

This information is not available.

Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which Home Office office the head of the immigration service reports.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The chief inspector of the immigration service reports to one of the two assistant under-secretaries in the immigration and nationality department of the Home Office.