To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals prisoners in prisons were (a) aged over 65 and (b) classified as mentally disordered as at 1 December 2006. (119435)

[holding answer 6 February 2007]: In response to (a), on 30 November 2006 there were 74 foreign national prisoners held in prison establishments in England and Wales aged 65 and over. In response to (b) information on the numbers of prisoners with mental illness is not centrally collected.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners were being detained as at 31 December 2006 for immigration purposes at prison establishments beyond their release date, broken down by prison; and if he will make a statement. (110711)

The Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 February 2007. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library of the House. It contains a snapshot of the number of time-served foreign national prisoners who are awaiting deportation in both the IND Removals Estate and in prisons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners whose automatic release date has already passed were detained in (a) prison service accommodation and (b) other custody facilities on the most recent date for which information is available. (123574)

The director-general of the immigration and nationality directorate wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 February 2007. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library of the House. It contains a snapshot of the number of time-served foreign national prisoners who are awaiting deportation in both the IND removals estate and in prisons.