HC Deb 13 May 2004 vol 421 cc514-5W
Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were imprisoned abroad in each of the last three years, broken down by country of imprisonment. [171254]

Mr. Mullin

The total number of British citizens detained overseas in the last three years is:

Number
2002–03 7,861
2001–02 7,499
2000–01 8,428

I have placed a breakdown by country of imprisonment and British Posts for 2002–03 in the Library of the House. It would incur disproportionate costs to provide a breakdown by country for those detained in 2001–02 and 2000–01. However, the following tables show those British Posts recording the highest numbers of British citizens detained for the last three years:

2000–01
Post Numbers

detained

Percentage of British

citizens detained

compared to all

overseas Posts

Country
Ibiza 2,006 24 Spain
Malaga 394 5 Spain
Tenerife 296 4 Spain
Orlando 296 4 USA

2000–01
Post Numbers

detained

Percentage of British

citizens detained

compared to all

overseas Posts

Country
Lille 292 3 France
Los Angeles 253 3 USA
New York 229 3 USA
Sydney 220 3 Australia
Alicante 216 3 Spain
Houston 155 2 USA
Total 4,357 52
2001–02
Post Numbers

detained

Percentage of British

citizens detained

compared to all

overseas Posts

Country
Ibiza 1,531 20 Spain
Orlando 492 7 USA
Tenerife 318 4 Spain
Lille 272 4 France
Los Angeles 257 3 USA
New York 243 3 USA
Kingston 230 3 Jamaica
Palma 229 3 Spain
Athens 190 3 Greece
Sydney 164 2 Australia
Total 3,926 52
2002–03
Post Numbers

detained

Percentage of British

citizens detained

compared to all

overseas Posts

Country
Malaga 619 8 Spain
Orlando 546 7 USA
Houston 391 5 USA
Los Angeles 384 5 USA
New York 327 4 USA
Tenerife 315 4 Spain
Sydney 246 3 Australia
Alicante 231 3 Spain
Palma 227 3 Spain
Dublin 225 3 Ireland
Total 3,511 45

Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were sentenced to life imprisonment abroad in each of the last three years, broken down by country of imprisonment; and how many of these sentences were revised on appeal. [171256]

Mr. Mullin

The number of British Nationals detained in prisons overseas is collected on a quarterly and annual basis by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The data is not categorised by the length of sentence received and only represents those prisoners who have asked the local authorities to inform the British consulate of their arrest or who request consular assistance.

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