§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders were signed by immigration officers in each of the last five years; and how many of those were signed by officers at inspector level or above in each month since August 1988.
§ Mr. Renton[holding answer 6 June 1989]: Deportation orders are always signed by Ministers, normally by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.
In the five years from 1984–88, the numbers of notices of intention to deport under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971, against which there is a right of appeal to the independent appellate authorities, signed by members of the immigration and nationality department were as follows:
Number 1984 2,278 1985 1,578 1986 661 1987 794 1988 1,751 Information about the number of notices of intention to deport signed by an immigration officer in this period on the authority of a responsible official in the deportation section of IND is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Since 1 August 1988, notices of intention to deport under section 3(5)(a) may be authorised by a member of the immigration service at not less than inspector level. The number so authorised (and signed by an immigration officer) since 1988 is as follows:
216W
Number 1988 August 82 September 114 October 121 November 208 December 159 1989 January 226 February 224
Number March 252 April 171