Conservatives call for Clarke's resignation

The Conservatives have called for Home Secretary Charles Clarke to resign following revelations that more than 1,000 foreign prisoners were released from prison without being screened for deportation.

Three murderers and nine rapists were among the criminals who were released from prison since 1999.

Mr Clarke apologised following the announcement of the figures. It has also emerged that he offered to resign but the offer was turned down by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In a statement to the House of Commons today, Mr Clarke said: "This failure in the systems for dealing with foreign national prisoners is deeply regrettable and my immediate priority is to set this right."

He said that of the 1,023 foreign prisoners released, consideration of the case for deportation had been started in 355 cases, of which 107 had been completed and 20 had been deported.

However, Conservative leader David Cameron accused the Home Secretary of presiding over "systematic failure" in the Home and said that he "cannot give the Home Office the leadership it so badly needs".

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis also said that Mr Clarke's position was now "untenable". When asked if anyone was released in the period after we knew about this problem, the Home Secretary said: "very, very few". But a statement broadcast after the 10 O' Clock news announced that 288 more foreign criminals were released after the Home Secretary knew they had a problem.

"I am afraid that I cannot think of a stronger demonstration of a minister not in charge of his department. Yesterday afternoon, at 4pm, the Home Secretary offered his resignation to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister said he should not go. "At 4pm, I did not think the Home Secretary should go, but in view of the information released overnight and 288 criminals released after the government knew about this problem, I am sorry to say to the Home Secretary that his position is now untenable."

Mr Clarke said that, of the 288 prisoners released since last August, consideration of the case for deportation had been started in 83 cases, while 53 had been completed and 14 people had been deported.

Mr Clarke said: "My aim is to ensure that the foreign national prisoner population is managed effectively and proactively, ensuring that the number of people held in prisons under immigration powers is kept to the absolute minimum and that we have the right sentencing powers and identification referral and caseworking capacity and that we are in a position to effect removal at the earliest point of release. That is my commitment and I will report regularly to the House on progress."

At Prime Minister's Question Time, Mr Blair also came under fire over the problem. He admitted that there were problems with the system for deporting foreign criminals from UK jails, but insisted that more cash and staff had been deployed to tackle the problem and that all cases were now being considered pre-release.

(KMcA/CD)