HC Deb 17 November 1966 vol 736 cc623-4
31. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any machinery in his Department for periodic review of the safety of specially dangerous prisoners.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

In addition to the special allocation which I have already announced, it is a continuous primary duty of prison staff to try to identify dangerous prisoners and secure their safe custody. The cases of prisoners placed on the escape list or made the subject of other special precautions are regularly reviewed.

Mr. Digby

Did not the right hon. Gentleman's earlier Answer to me make it clear that this broke down in some way in the case of Blake and that his case was not drawn to the attention of Ministers?

Mr. Jenkins

I do not think so, because what I said was that those placed on the escape list were regularly reviewed; but Blake was taken off the escape list in 1961.