To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many non-UK nationals in UK prisons she expects to be deported in the next 12 months; (273854)

The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has written to the Home Affairs Select Committee on a regular basis in order to provide all of the most robust and accurate in formation on the subject of foreign national prisoners and deportation. She advised the Committee that in 2007 the agency deported or removed a record 4,200 foreign national prisoners, exceeding the Prime Minister’s target. In 2008 the UK Border Agency established a new record by deporting or removing 5,395 foreign national prisoners, which was reported in the quarterly asylum and immigration statistics.

Copies of her letters are available in the Library of the House. She will continue to update the Committee as required. In its business plan for 2009-10 the UK Border Agency has confirmed that it will continue to deport or remove record numbers of foreign national prisoners.