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British Nationality (Applications)
Ms Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality are currently outstanding for applicants registered as resident in Enfield North. [53247]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the form requested as applications are not recorded according to the parliamentary constituency in which an applicant is living. Nationality Directorate records indicate that there are 481 applications outstanding from persons who have given an address with an Enfield postcode.
Remand Prisoners
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners were remanded in custody to await trial or sentence in 1997; what was the average daily number on remand; and what percentage subsequently received custodial sentences. [52838]
Mr. George Howarth: In 1997, 58,092 males and 3,974 females were remanded in custody awaiting trial. 33,988 convicted males and 2,426 convicted females were remanded in custody awaiting sentence. The average monthly remand population in 1997 was 8,057 untried males and 3,475 convicted unsentenced males. The corresponding figures for females were 396 and 203 respectively.
Of those remanded in custody at some stage in magistrates' courts proceedings, provisional information shows that 46 per cent. of males and 31 per cent. of females were sentenced to immediate custody.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data his Department has collated on the average time spent by prisoners on remand in custody awaiting trial over each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [54027]
Mr. George Howarth:
The information requested is given in the table. Information on the estimated average number of days in custody for untried prisoners is published in "Prison statistics England and Wales" (table 2.1 of the 1996 edition, Cm 3732), a copy of which is in the Library. Information for 1997 has been taken from draft tables prepared for the 1997 edition of "Prison statistics England and Wales" which is due to be published today.
| Estimated average number of days in custody 1 , 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Males | Females |
| 1993 | 55 | 39 |
| 1994 | 59 | 44 |
| 1995 | 56 | 43 |
| 1996 | 53 | 41 |
| 1997 | 51 | 36 |
(95) Time spent in Prison Service establishments before conviction, acquittal etc.
(96) Estimated from number of receptions and average population
31 Jul 1998 : Column: 829
Women Prisoners
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were received into prison under sentence, excluding those sentenced for fine default, in 1997; and what was the breakdown of their offence categories. [52835]
Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 28 July 1998]: The information requested is given in the table.
| Offence | Number(97) |
|---|---|
| Violence against the person | 660 |
| Sexual offences | 14 |
| Burglary | 180 |
| Robbery | 173 |
| Theft and handling | 1,734 |
| Fraud and forgery | 403 |
| Drugs offences | 750 |
| Other offences | 787 |
| Offence not recorded | 146 |
| Total | 4,847 |
(97) Provisional figures
Custody (Girls)
Ms Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls aged under 18 years from Wales were in custody at the last date for which figures are available. [53261]
Mr. George Howarth [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The available information is for those 15, 16 and 17 year old females held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales who were first committed to custody from a Welsh court. As at 30 June, provisional information indicates that there was one such prisoner.
Departmental Research
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52697]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The term 'research' covers a wide range of activities, from scientific and engineering research through to consultancies and public opinion surveys. The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Comprehensive Spending Review
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to the Comprehensive Spending Review, he will list the real terms changes in spending on the (a) Prison Service, (b) police and (c) Probation Service, in each of the next three years. [53337]
31 Jul 1998 : Column: 830
Mr. Straw:
The table shows the real terms year on year increases produced by the allocation of total Home Office provision to the three services. The allocation may be subject to adjustment, particularly in the second and third years.
| £ million 1998-99 prices | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | |
| Prison service | (98)10 | 11 | 11 |
| Police(99) | 3 | 23 | 107 |
| Probation service(99) | 12 | 19 | 21 |
(98) Based on planned spend in 1998-99, which includes an additional £112m above the original baseline
(99) The increases shown are based on Total Standard Spending for these services.
Prisons (Expenditure)
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total expenditure needed to meet each of the Prison Service's three projections for the required number of prison places, in each year until 2005; if he will give the figures at constant real terms cost per prison place; and if he will make a statement. [53341]
Mr. George Howarth: The Prison Service has not based its expenditure projections on any one of the three population scenarios. The Comprehensive Spending Review settlement, which includes £179 million over the period to complete the programme for increasing capacity, provides the Service with a realistic plan for coping with rising numbers over the period.
But, as recent experience has shown, it is very difficult to forecast trends precisely several years ahead. It is expected that the policies that we are pursuing to increase public confidence in community-based punishment will have an impact on population trends by the end of the period.
The Comprehensive Spending Review covers only the years 1999-2002 and the forecasts of cost per uncrowded place only over that period.
The Comprehensive Spending Review Settlement provides for a real terms cost per uncrowded place 1 increase of 0.9 per cent. over the three years. Expressed as a year-on-year basis, this represents a 1.7 per cent. increase in the first year (1999-2000); a 0.2 per cent. reduction in the second year (2000-01) and a 0.6 per cent. reduction in the third year (2001-02).
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 prices | 1998-99 prices | |
| 1999-2000 | 20,540 | 23,986 |
| 2000-01 | 20,498 | 23,937 |
| 2001-02 | 20,379 | 23,798 |
(100) Figures do not include costs or places of prisons designed, constructed, managed and financed (DCMF) by the private sector
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the need for extra (a) prison places and (b) prisons in each of the next
31 Jul 1998 : Column: 831
three years; what is the planned spending per prison place over the next three years; and what is the expected capital spending on prisons over the next three years. [53338]
Mr. George Howarth:
Resources are in place to increase the operational capacity of the prison estate by a further 4,500 places over the next three financial years.
The building programme will deliver 1,350 places in 1998-99 and 550 in 1999-2000 in the form of houseblocks and cell reclamation places at existing prisons.
New prisons will provide an additional 1,200 places in 1999-2000 and 1,400 places in 2000-01.
The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) settlement provides for a real terms cost per uncrowded place 1 increase of 0.9 per cent. over the three years of the CSR. Expressed as a year-on-year basis this represents a 1.7 per cent. increase in the first year (1999-2000); a 0.2 per cent. reduction in the second year (2000-01); and a 0.6 per cent. reduction in the third year (2001-02).
The CSR settlement provides, in real terms at 1998-99 prices, capital expenditure for the Prison Service of £150 million (1999-2000), £131 million (2000-01) and £130 million (2001-02).
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Comprehensive Spending Review, if he will provide a breakdown of the total amount of extra funding which will be allocated to (a) prison places and (b) rehabilitation and other programmes in prison, in each of the next three years, in real terms; and if he will make a statement. [53340]
Mr. George Howarth:
In the three years from 1999-2002, the Prison Service will spend an extra £62 million (1999-2000), £54 million (2000-01) and £54 million, in real terms at 1998-99 prices, on prison places.
1 Figures do not include costs or places of prisons designed, constructed, managed and financed (DCMF) by the private sector.
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