Oral Answers to Questions

Nick Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 17th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Blunt]

As my right hon. and learned Friend the Justice Secretary made clear last year, there are of course problems with short prison sentences for both male and female offenders. We will not take away from the judiciary and magistracy the ability to use short sentences when required, but we need to ensure that community sentences that are properly robust and properly punitive can carry public confidence as an appropriate option, particularly for women offenders who frequently have wider responsibilities in the community that would be lost if they were incarcerated.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)]

5. How many foreign national prisoners he expects to return to their country of origin to serve their sentences in 2011-12.

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

17. How many foreign national prisoners he expects to return to their country of origin to serve their sentences in 2011-12.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Crispin Blunt)]

In 2010, 5,235 foreign national prisoners were removed or deported from the UK. The number of foreign national prisoners has reduced by 622 since 31 March 2010 to the present figure of 10,745. The number of foreign prisoners transferred through prisoner transfer arrangements remains regrettably low due to the voluntary nature of most of our existing arrangements. We expect about 60 prisoners to be transferred in 2011-12 to serve their sentence and for the number of transfers to rise progressively as the European Union prisoner transfer agreement enters into force.

[Nick Smith]

The Prime Minister vowed to repatriate thousands of foreign prisoners. How many foreign national prisoners have been repatriated in the past six months and how many does the Minister expect to repatriate in the coming 12 months?