Immigrants: Young Offender Institutions

Jim Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people at each young offender institution who were detained beyond their sentence expiry date as a consequence of unresolved immigration issues there were in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008.

Mr. Woolas
[holding answer 14 October 2009]: Detention beyond sentence for foreign national offenders under the age of 18 is maintained only under my authorisation and in consultation with various sources of expertise, including the Office of the Children’s Champion and Children’s Services. Detention of child offenders is a last resort and all relevant matters are taken into account when considering their welfare.

Information on the number of foreign nationals held beyond their sentence specifically in each young offender institution can be obtained only by examining each individual record at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry of Justice latest published figures for the foreign national prisoner population as at 30 June 2009 on their website at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm