HL Deb 06 November 1980 vol 414 cc1248-50WA
Lord MELCHETT

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many British citizens suspected, charged or convicted of drug offences, excluding cannabis, were being held in prison outside the United Kingdom by each foreign and Commonwealth country at 1st October, 1980; and what is the range of sentences being served by these British citizens in each country;

How many British citizens suspected, charged or convicted of cannabis offences were being held in prison outside the United Kingdom by each foreign and Commonwealth country at 1st October, 1980; and what is the range of sentences being served by these British citizens in each country; and

How many British citizens suspected, charged or convicted of criminal offences were being held in prison outside the United Kingdom by each foreign and Commonwealth country at 1st October, 1980; and what is the range of the sentences being served by these British citizens in each country.

The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Lord Carrington)

The following table contains information in reply to the noble Lord's three questions:

TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF UNITED KINGDOM NATIONALS KNOWN TO BE ARRESTED, CHARGED OR

CONVICTED OF OFFENCES AND HELD IN PRISONS OVERSEAS TOGETHER WITH THE RANGE OF SENTENCES AS AT

5TH NOVEMBER 1980
Country Drug Offences (excluding cannabis) Cannabis Offences Other Offences or Reasons
Angola — — 7 (16–30 yrs.)
Argentina — — 2 (n.y.s.)*
Australia 1 (4 yrs.) 1 (10 yrs.) 5 (2½ yrs.-life)
Austria 2 (1–2½ yrs.) — 9(18 mths.-9 yrs.)
Bahamas — — 1 (n.y.s.)*
Bahrain — — 1 (1 mth.)
Barbados — — 2 (death)
Belgium 15 (3 mths-5 yrs.) 4 (3 yrs.) 14 (9 mths.-life)
Bermuda — — 2 (2 mths.)
Bolivia 3 (n.y.s.)* — —
Botswana — — 1 (11 yrs.)
Bulgaria 3 (3½–8 yrs.) — —
Canada 5 (6 mths.-7 yrs.) 4 (7–8 yrs.) 6 (3½ yrs.-life)
Chile 1 (5 yrs.) — —
Cuba — 1 (8 yrs.) 1 (18 yrs.)
Cyprus — — 3 (9 mths.-15 mths.)
Denmark 9 (2–6 yrs.) — 12 (4 mths-14 yrs.)
Egypt — — 1 (20 yrs.)
France 32(1½ yrs.-12 yrs.) 13 (1–5 yrs.) 30 (3 mths-5 yrs.)
FRG 27 (6 mths.-9 yrs.) 4 (1–7 yrs.) 65 (1 mth-life)
Greece 12 (3–12 yrs.) 2 (6 mths-8 yrs.) 9(7 mths-15 yrs.)
Guatemala 1 (3 yrs.) — 3 (5 yrs.)
Hong Kong — — 1 (15 yrs.)
India — 3 (8 mths.-2 yrs.) 3 (8 mths.)
Iran — — 4 (n.y.s.)*
Iraq — — 1 (life)
Israel — — 1 (5 yrs.)
Italy 12 (2–6 yrs.) — 9 (5 mths.-2 yrs.)
Jamaica — — 1 (life)
Japan 7 (4½ yrs.-6 yrs.) 1 (6 yrs.) 4 (deportation-7 yrs.)
Kenya — — 2 (14–18 yrs.)
Liberia — — 1 (n.y.s.)*
Libya 1 (n.y.s.)* — 4 (not yet charged)
Malawi — — 2 (4½ yrs) 1 (n.y.s.*)
Mexico 3 (7–8½ yrs.) — —
Morocco — 1 (1 yr.) 2 (12–30 yrs.)
Netherlands 7 (7 mths-3 yrs.) — 11 (6 mths-12 yrs.)
Norway 5 (4 yrs.) — 5 (14 mths.)
Panama — 3 (n.y.s.)* —
Paraguay — — 4 (no details)
Peru 3 (n.y.s.)* — —
Portugal 2 (5 yrs.) — 2 (n.y.s.)*
Qatar — — 2(6–18 mths.)
Saudi Arabia — 5 (2 yrs. –2 n.y.s.)* 17 (6 mths.-3 yrs.)
South Africa 2 (5–8 yrs.) 4 (1–8 yrs.) 28 (18 mths.-death)
Spain — 42 (2–9 yrs.) 16 (2⅓–25⅚ yrs.)
Swaziland — — 1 (1 yr.)
Sweden 4 (3 mths.-4 yrs.) 4 (8 mths.-5½ yrs.) 4 (2–8 mths.)
Switzerland 4(15 mths.-6½ yrs.) 1 (2 yrs.) 5 (20 mths.-12 yrs.)
Syria — 4 (5 yrs) 2 (n.y.s.*) 4 (5 yrs) 2 (n.y.s.*)
Thailand 5 (4–11 yrs.) 5 (4–11 yrs.) 8(18 mths.-11 yrs.)
Trinidad & Tobago — — 1 (n.y.s.)*
Turkey 4 (20–30 yrs.) — 1 (n.y.s.)*
USA 4 (3 yrs.-life) 4(4 mths)3 (n.y.s.*) 40 (18 mths.-life)
Uruguay — — 2 (n.y.s.)*
Yugoslavia 2 (2–4 yrs.) — —
Zambia — — 2 (5 yrs.) 1 (n.y.s.*)
Zimbabwe — — 5 (2 yrs.-life)
*Not yet sentenced.

House adjourned at twenty-three minutes past five o'clock.