The requested information is not held centrally and would be available only through the detailed examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
The following table shows the numbers of children detained within the UK Border Agency detention estate solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis as at the last Saturday of each quarter of 2008, broken down by length of detention (i.e. of those detained on that particular day, the numbers of whom had been detained for the lengths of time specified).
National Statistics on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis are published quarterly. This information is published in Tables 9 to 11 of the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom bulletins which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
Number of children1 Length of detention4, 5 29 March 28 June 27 September 27 December 7 days or less 10 15 30 5 8 to 14 days * 5 * 15 15 to 28 days 5 20 20 15 29 days to less than 2 months 15 15 5 5 2 months to less than 3 months 5 — — * 3 months to less than 4 months — — — — 4 months to less than 6 months — — — — 6 months to less than 1 year — — — — 1 year or more — — — — Total 35 55 55 40 1 People recorded as being under 18 on the last Saturday of each quarter. These figures will overstate if any applicants aged 18 or over claim to be younger. 2 Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (— = 0, * = 1 or 2), may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding and exclude persons detained in police cells, Prison Service establishments and those detained under both criminal and immigration powers. 3 Figures include dependants. 4 Relates to most recent period of sole detention. 5 2 months is defined as 61 days; 4 months is defined as 122 days; 6 months is defined as 182 days.