§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders were (a) made and (b) enforced under sections 3(5)(a), (b), (c) and 3(6), respectively, of the Immigration Act 1971 during 1978 and to 30 June 1979; and how many decisions to deport were made during the same periods.
§ Mr. RaisonThe information is as follows:
- Manchester—about 7.8 months
- London (Thanet House)—about 7 months
- London (Harmondsworth)—about 6 months.
These averages conceal wide variations in individual cases. They relate to the time which elapses between the appeal being listed for hearing by the appellate authorities and its determination.
§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were received into prison department establishments under Immigration Act powers during 1978 and the 107W first two quarters of the current year as (a) persons awaiting deportation for breach of conditions of leave to enter or remain, including overstayers, (b) awaiting deportation deemed conducive to the public good, (c) illegal entrants, (d) having been recommended for deportation by the courts and (e) having entered in breach of a deportation order; how many persons in each of these categories were in detention on 31 December 1978, 31 March 1979 and 30 June 1979; and if he will give a breakdown of the periods of detention.
§ Mr. RaisonThe information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were detained under the Immigration Act 1971 in prison department establishments during 1978 and the first six months of the current year pending further examination by immigration officers or pending removal after being refused entry because sufficient accommodation was not available at Harmondsworth detention centre.
§ Mr. RaisonI regret that the information requested is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is, however, the normal practice when the centre at Harmondsworth is full to detain people who would otherwise have been held there in other detention accommodation available to the immigration service or in police cells. The number kept in prison for the reason mentioned by the hon. Member should, therefore, be very small.