HC Deb 16 March 1998 vol 308 cc510-3W
Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which external bodies received funds from his Department to offer services to foreign nationals in prison in England and Wales in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [33681]

(2) what services his Department funds in respect of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales; and what funding they received in the last year for which figures are available. [33670]

Ms Quin

The Home Office does not provide general funding to external bodies for services to foreign nationals in prisons. However, there are a number of services purchased from external bodies by the Prison Service on behalf of foreign nationals. These include translation, interpretation and educational services, the costs of which are not kept centrally.

Additionally, the Prison Service itself provides services to meet the needs of foreign nationals. These include provision to meet religious and dietary requirements, the issue of the foreign national information pack and prisoners' information book in different languages. The Prison Service also ensures access to telephones so that prisoners can maintain contact with family members abroad. The cost of this provision, which is part of the general provision for prisoners, is met from establishment budgets and cannot be identified centrally.

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals received a term of imprisonment for drug importation in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [33669]

Ms Quin

The information requested is given in the table.

Receptions of foreign nationals under sentence into prisons in England and Wales for unlawful import/export of drugs 1993–1997
Year Unlawful import/export
1993 260
1994 260
1995 270
1996 330
1997 380

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals are currently being held in gaols in England and Wales by nationality. [33679]

Ms Quin

Information on the population of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales on 31 December 1997 is given in the table.

Population of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales on 31 December 19971 by nationality
Number
All foreign nationals 4,664
Total Europe 1,735
Albania 16
Armenia 2
Austria 5
Belgium 46
Bosnia-Herzegovina 7
Bulgaria 8
Croatia 2
Cyprus 83
Czechoslovakia 13
Denmark 10
France 69
Georgia 2
Germany 84
Gibraltar 2
Greece 21
Hungary 6
Irish Republic 673
Italy 89
Lithuania 17
Macedonia 2
Malta 13
Modavia 4
Netherland 172
Norway 2
Poland 37
Portugal 42

Population of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales on 31 December 19971 by nationality
Number
Romania 17
Sweden 3
Slovakia 7
Spain 43
Switzerland 4
Turkey 160
Turkmenistan 3
USSR 23
Yugoslavia 42
Other 6
Total Asia 817
Bangladesh 75
China 30
Hong Kong 9
India 238
Indonesia 4
Korea (South) 2
Malaysia 11
Nepal 3
Pakistan 330
Philippines 10
Singapore 7
Sri Lanka 45
Surinam 3
Thailand 2
Vietnam 43
Other 5
Total Middle East 120
Afghanistan 6
Iran 47
Iraq 22
Israel 10
Jordan 6
Kuwait 4
Lebanon 11
Saudi Arabia 3
Syrian Arab 4
Republic United Arab Emirates 4
Other 3
Total North America 125
Canada 25
United States of America 100
Total Central or South America 165
Argentina 4
Brazil 18
Chile 7
Colombia 100
Guatemala 2
Honduras 2
Nicaragua 4
Peru 3
Uruguay 2
Venezuela 17
Other 6
Total West Indies 816
Antigua 14
Barbados 24
Cuba 2
Dominica 5
Grenada 14
Guyana 32
Haiti 2
Jamaica 644
Monsterrat 2
Netherlands 2
Antilles St. Christopher & Nevis 2
St. Kitts and Nevis 6

Population of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales on 31 December 19971 by nationality
Number
St. Lucia 25
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6
Trinidad and Tobago 33
Other 3
Total Africa 839
Algeria 61
Angola 17
Burundi 4
Cameroon, United Republic of 6
Central African Republic 7
Congo 2
Egypt 7
Ethiopia 19
Gambia 10
Ghana 100
Ivory Coast 3
Kenya 41
Liberia 9
Libya 13
Malawi 3
Mauritania 2
Mauritius 8
Morocco 40
Nigeria 222
Senegal 3
Sierre Leone 15
Somalia 68
South Africa 54
Sudan 3
Tanzania 10
Togo 3
Tunisia 7
Uganda 39
Zaire 33
Zambia 12
Zimbabwe 12
Other 6
Total Oceania 41
Australia 24
New Zealand 15
Other 2
Antartica 6
Not recorded 385
1Provisional figures.

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals received a prison sentence in England and Wales in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of those receiving a prison sentence had a pre-sentence report relating to their circumstances. [33667]

Ms Quin

Provisional information for 1997 shows that 4,550 foreign nationals were received into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales under sentence. Information regarding the number of foreign nationals who had a pre-sentence report is not collected centrally.

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