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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 February 1999, Official Report, columns 546-47, on deportation orders, if he will make it his policy to collect easily accessible information on the number of persons in custody or otherwise detained who are the subject of deportation action; and if he will make a statement. [69919] Mr. Mike O'Brien: Information is currently collected on people who are detained under Immigration Act powers in prisons and detention centres. This will include people refused entry on arrival at a port and illegal entrants, as well as those who are subject to deportation action. However, those subject to deportation are not identified separately; and the figures do not include people still completing custodial sentences who are subject to deportation action, as the latter are not held under Immigration Act powers. There is no pressing operational need to collect centrally separate information about the number of people in prison custody or otherwise detained who are subject to deportation action. However, the Immigration Service is currently in discussions with the Prison Service about the collection of data on foreign nationals in prison and will consider the desirability of including details of prisoners subject to deportation when new information systems are introduced.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

325 c91W; 69919

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Detainees Deportation Offenders Prisoners HM Prison Service Immigration Service Ports Directorate