§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many men, women and children respectively, in how many detention centres, were in detention under the Immigration Acts at the most convenient recent date; how many of the women were pregnant; and how many in total were held in prisons. [HL287]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalInformation on persons recorded as being in detention in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers as at 25 September 2004 is shown in the following table.
On 25 September 2004, 40 children were detained solely under Immigration Act powers. Of these, 30 were held at Oakington Reception Centre and five at Tinsley House. The remaining cases were either age dispute cases held at other immigration removal centres while their age assessements were being carried out, or young children held at mother and baby units in prisons with their mother while awaiting removal. Further details of these cases (less than three in total) cannot be disclosed due to national statistics protocols on confidentiality.
There are no data available on the number of detained women who were pregnant. Pregnant women would not normally be considered suitable for detention, unless there is the clear prospect of early removal and medical advice suggests no question of confinement prior to this. Pregnant women (less than 26 weeks) may also be detained as part of the fast-track asylum process at Oakington Reception Centre.
41WAThe total number of persons held in prison as at 25 September was 150. However, an assessment undertaken in spring 2004 of figures supplied by IND highlighted possible under-counting on immigration detainees held in prisons for removal/deportation at the end of their criminal sentences. Work to reconcile these data is continuing.
Information on numbers detained is published on a quarterly and annual basis. The next quarterly statistics, providing the numbers detained at the end of December, will be available in February on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration 1.html
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Immigration Act detainees have been held (a) for more than six months; and (b) longer than one year. [HL289]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalInformation on the number of persons recorded as being in detention in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers as at 25 September 2004, by length of detention, is shown in the following table.
Persons recorded as being in detention in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers as at 25 September 2004, by length of detention.(1)(2) Number of individuals Length of detention (3)(4) Total detainee of whom: asylum seekers (5) minors (6) 14days or less 565 420 25 15to 29 days 215 155 5 1 month to less than 2 months 195 155 5 2 months to less than 3 months 80 50 — 3 months to less than 4 months 100 85 5 4 month to less than 6 months 100 75 — 6 months to less than 1 year 125 100 — 1 year or more 80 60 — Total 1,460 1,105 40 (1) Figures exclude persons detained in police cells and those in dual detention. (2) Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with *= 1 or 2. (3) Relates to current period of detention only. (4) 2 months is defined as 61 days; 4 months is defined as 122 days; 6 months is defined as 182 days. (5) Persons detained under Immigration Act powers who are recorded as having sought asylum at some stage. (6) People recorded as being under 18 on 25 September 2004. Information on numbers detained, by length of detention, is published on a quarterly and annual basis on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.