asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people are currently in prison in Northern Ireland for non-payment of debts. [HL5530]
At 15 October, there were 20 prisoners in custody for non-payment of debts.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which schemes of remission of sentence and early release are currently available to prisoners in Northern Ireland. [HL5541]
The statutory schemes are as follows:
Remission of Sentence:
Prison and Young Offenders Centre Rules (Northern Ireland) 1995—Rule 30;
Northern Ireland (Remission of Sentences) Act 1995; and
Terrorism Act 2000—Section 79 for scheduled offences committed before 1 August 2007.
Early Release:
Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953—Section 16;
Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998; and
Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001—Article 7.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many prisoners in Northern Ireland are not British citizens; and what are their nationalities. [HL5599]
On 13 October 2008, there were 154 foreign national prisoners being held by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (excluding Irish nationals). Their nationalities are shown in the following table.
Algerian 1 Kyrgyzstani 1 American 1 Latvian 3 Argentinian 1 Liberian 1 Australian 1 Lithuanian 11 Belgian 1 Moldovan 3 Beninese 1 Moroccan 1 Bulgarian 1 Nigerian 7 Canadian 1 Polish 15 Chinese 74 Portuguese 3 Danish 1 Romanian 3 Dutch 8 Sierra Leone 1 German 2 Slovenian 1 Ghanaian 1 Somalian 1 Hungarian 1 South African 2 Ivorian 1 Spanish 1 Korean 2 Sudanese 1 Unknown 1
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the percentage of prisoners on remand in Northern Ireland is double that in England. [HL5639]
Remand rates can fluctuate for a number of reasons. For example, major police successes in tackling organised crime and in apprehending suspected offenders can result in a short-term increase.
By reducing avoidable delay in the criminal justice system, we will make a significant impact on the duration of remands. A comprehensive package of measures covering some 80 actions has been put in place, monitored by the Criminal Justice Board, to address the problem of delay, and this is backed up by clear standards and an inter-agency action team. The availability of electronic monitoring of curfews as a condition of bail, due to be introduced in April, should also help further to limit the need for remand.