HC Deb 26 June 1978 vol 952 cc383-6W
Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained under Immigration Act powers at 30th April 1978 as (a) alleged overstayers, (b) alleged illegal immigrants, (c) recommendations for deportation by the courts, (d) awaiting deportation for breach of conditions of leave to enter, and (e) awaiting deportation as non-conducive to the public good.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I am arranging for the data to be analysed and published in theOfficial Report as soon as possible.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained under Immigration Act powers at 30th April 1978 at (a) Her Majesty's Prison, Pentonville, (b) Her Majesty's Prison, Winson Green, (c) Risley Remand Centre, (d) other prisons by name, and (e) prison department detention centres by name.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I am arranging for the data to be analysed and published in theOfficial Report as soon as possible.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions during the first three months of 1978 he has exercised his power to detain people against whom a decision to make a deportation order under Section 2(2) of Schedule 3 to the Immigration Act; and on how many such occasions (a) bail has been granted by the appellate authorities and (b) the decision to detain them has been reversed.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Twenty-eight detention orders were made in the first three months of this year under paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 3 to the Immigration Act 1971.

I regret that the other information requested is not readily available.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained in prisons under Immigration Act powers at the Hammersmith and Gatwick Detention Centres run by Securicor Limited at 30th April 1978.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

On 30th April 1978, 60 people were detained at the immigration service detention centre at Harmondsworth; in addition, three patrial children were accommodated there in order to remain with their parents. No one was detained at the centre at Gatwick.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained under Immigration Act powers who committed, or attempted to commit, suicide while in Prison Department establishments during the first three months of 1978.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

None committed suicide. Information on attempted suicide among particular categories of inmates is not centrally recorded.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained in prisons under Immigration Act powers who are compelled to share a cell with, respectively, one or two other people as at 30th April 1978 at (a) Her Majesty's Prison, Pentonville, (b) Her Majesty's Prison, Winson Green and (c) Risley Remand Centre.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The information is as follows:

DETAINEES IN SHARED ACCOMMODATION ON 30TH APRIL 1978
Two in a cell Three in a cell Dormitory
Pentonville 150
Birmingham 3 21
Risley 12

Sympathetic consideration is given wherever possible to requests for single accommodation or for particular detainees to share accommodation with others of the same nationality.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take about the arrangements for legal advisers or other authorised representatives to visit clients detained under Immigration Act powers at Her Majesty's Prison, Winson Green, in view of the delays caused by the present inadequate accommodation.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I regret that because accommodation for visits by legal advisers is limited, they cannot always see clients immediately. The possibility of improving the accommodation is being kept under review.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the longest periods spent in prison by people detained under Immigration Act powers at the present time.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

On 31st May 1978 two people had been detained in Prison Department establishments under the Immigration Act 1971 for 11 months or more. The longest period for which either of them had been detained was 354 days.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions during the first three months of 1978 he has exercised his powers under Section 2(1) of Schedule 3 to the Immigration Act to direct release, pending further consideration of the cases of people detained following recommendations for deportations made by the court.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I regret that this information is not readily available.

Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions during the first three months of 1978 he has exercised his powers to order temporary release of people detained in prisons as alleged illegal entrants pending consideration of representations made on their behalf.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Between 1st January and 31st March 1978, 30 persons detained as illegal entrants solely on the authority of an immigration officer were released from detention and granted temporary admission pending consideration of their cases and any representations made on their behalf.