§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North of(a) 22 December regarding the detention of passengers on flight ULE 966 from Jamaica and (b) 10 January regarding the detention of the pregnant wife of Mr. Graham Doughty of Nottingham.
§ Mr. Charles WardleI replied to the hon. Member's letters of 22 December and 10 January on 12 and 18 January respectively.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what redress he will offer Mrs. Maria Doughty of Honeymead drive, Daybrook Lane, for being held at Gatwick airport on 22 December 1993 before being allowed to join her husband in Nottingham.
§ Mr. Charles Wardle[holding answer 20 January 1993]: I have written to the hon. Member about this case. I do not believe that any redress is justified.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the Jamaicans, detained from flight JQ001, were transferred to prison detention after leaving the Campsfield detention centre; and which prisons were used.
§ Mr. Charles WardleOne who was transferred to HM prison Pentonville.
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§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent flight ULE 966 from Kingston, Jamaica on 21 December 1993 was targeted by immigration officials; and at what level in his Department such decisions are taken.
§ Mr. Charles WardleFor the reasons given in my letters of 12 and 18 January to the hon. Member, prior arrangements were made by immigration service managers at Gatwick, in consultation with senior officers at immigration service headquarters to enable a potentially large number of individual interviews to be conducted. Every decision to refuse entry was individually authorised by an officer of chief immigration officer or inspector grade, as the immigration rules require.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the nature of the contingency planning that took place in relation to flight ULE 966 from Kingston, Jamaica, that arrived on 21 December 1993; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe contingency planning included arrangements for the disembarkation of the aircraft in stages, the provision of a gate lounge where passengers could sit while awaiting interview, and making available additional immigration officers from the other Gatwick offices. The immigration service was also provided with a passenger manifest 3½ hours prior to the aircraft's arrival. Further details are contained in my letters of 12 and 18 January to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason passengers on board flight ULE 966 were segregated into distinct groups before they were allowed to disembark; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardlePassengers on board flight ULE 966—JQ0001—were not segregated into groups before being allowed to disembark. European Community nationals and a number of unaccompanied children were invited to leave the aircraft first. The other passengers were asked to disembark progressively in groups by row number.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific evidence he has linking any of the 178 Jamaicans arriving on flight ULE 966 on 21 December 1993 who were detained, with criminal activity or with drug pushing.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThere is no evidence that any of these passengers is involved in criminal activity.