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Offenders: Deportation

Volume 486: debated on Thursday 15 January 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners were removed under the Early Removal Scheme in the last year for which figures are available. (244462)

[holding answer 16 December 2008]: The information requested is not available and can only be obtained through the detailed examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost. The Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly updated the Home Affairs Select Committee with all of the most robust information available. In her letter of 23 July 2008 she advised the Committee that the agency is now removing or deporting around a fifth of all individuals direct from prison an average of 180 days before their release date. For the remaining individuals it is taking the agency around 130 days, on average, to deport or remove them from the UK. A copy of this letter is available in the Library of the House.