§ Mr. Edward DaveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people are currently detained by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; how many have been detained in each of the last five years; and at what annual cost; [38163]
(2) how many of the people detained by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate have been detained for longer than three months in each of the last three years. [38165]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien[holding answer 6 April 1998]Information on persons detained under sole Immigration Act powers in the United Kingdom for longer than three months is available only for the position as at 31 March 1998. As at that date, 350 such persons were recorded as having been detained continuously for over three months.
The available information relating to all persons detained under Immigration Act powers in immigration detention centres and prisons in the United Kingdom at given points in time, is contained in table 1.
174WThe annual costs of detention to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are given in table 2.
Table 1: Persons recorded as being detained1 solely under Immigration Act powers in immigration detention centres and prisons in the United Kingdom2 As at: Detained in immigration detention centres Detained in person establishments 28 February 1998 3,4373 5496 31 December 1997 383 465 31 December 1996 4493 6487 31 December 1995 4371 6532 31 December 1994 7n/a 6445 31 December 1993 7n/a 6545 1Persons recorded as being detained under Immigration Act powers on the dates given. 2 Data exclude persons detained in police cells. 3Data exclude persons detained at Dover. 4Data exclude persons detained at Harwich. 51998 prisons data are provisional. 6Data exclude persons detained in prisons in Northern Ireland. 7Data are not available.
Table 2: Annual costs to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of detention1,2 1992–93 to 1996–97 Year Cost1 (£ million) 1992–93 4.57 1993–94 7.46 1994–95 11.35 1995–96 13.12 1996–97 17.8 1Costs are net costs calculated on an accruals accounting basis. They include staff, accommodation, overheads and full running costs, and take account of depreciation of fixed assets. 2The data exclude costs to the Prison Service.
§ Mr. Edward DaveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the daily average cost to public funds of detaining a person by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [38162]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien[holding answer 6 April 1998]The current average daily cost of detaining a person within the Immigration Service detention estate is £76. Some immigration detainees are held in Prison Service accommodation where the average daily cost in 1996–97 was £68, although these costs are not passed on to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. The quoted costs include headquarters overheads.