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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Iraqi and (b) non-Iraqi nationals are held in prisons administered by United Kingdom armed forces; how many of these prisoners are female; how many are aged under 16 years; how many have been transferred from United States administered prisons; how many have been (i) tried and (ii) sentenced since March 2003; how old the (A) oldest and (B) youngest detainee is; and if he will list the offences under which detainees are being held. [215865] Mr. Ingram: As at 7 February 2005, there were thirty three internees held in the UK Divisional Temporary Detention Facility in Iraq, which is the only such facility administered by the UK. Thirty-two are Iraqi nationals and one has both Iraqi and British nationality. None of the internees are female, and none have stated that they are under eighteen. Three were transferred from US custody in December 2004. None of these internees have been tried or sentenced. They are held in custody as security internees on the grounds that they are deemed to be an imperative threat to security. Any Iraqis taken into custody by UK forces who are not deemed to be an imperative threat to security, but are suspected of criminal activity, are transferred to the Iraqi authorities at the earliest possible opportunity. The oldest internee currently held by the UK has stated that he is sixty-two. The youngest we are aware of has stated that he is twenty.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

431 c119W; 215865

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Crime Detainees Convictions Women Iraq Young people Trials

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk