HC Deb 24 June 1971 vol 819 cc1581-2
24. Mr. Wainwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been released on parole conditions from Her Majesty's prisons during each of the past three years; and how many have had to be recommitted to prison because such parole conditions have been broken.

Mr. Carlisle

During the 12 months beginning 1st April, 1968, release on parole was approved for 1,559 prisoners serving determinate sentences in England and Wales and 43 persons on parole were recalled. The figures for the 12 months beginning 1st April, 1969, were 1,840 and 94, and for the 12 months after that 2,610 and 166.

Mr. Wainwright

I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for that reply. Will he assure us that every case will be judged on its own merits and that if there are any special rules for allowing people out on parole, he will review these rules from time to time? Will he bear in mind that the impact of the first 14 days in prison is a greater cure for first offenders than letting them stay in longer and therefore getting used to the prison sentence?

Mr. Carlisle

There are no rules other than that no one may be released on parole before he has served a third of his sentence or 12 months, and that the Home Secretary can release no one on parole unless recommended to do so by the parole board. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that, within those terms, the parole board looks at every case which is referred to it on its merits.

Mr. Fowler

Would my hon. and learned Friend not agree that those figures show the outstanding success of the parole system, that there is, therefore, no justification for believing that professional criminals are being released on parole, and that any who pin their hopes on that are likely to be disappointed?

Mr. Carlisle

I agree with everything my hon. Friend says. I believe that the scheme has been very successful. The fact that the recall rate is about 5 per cent. bears that out. On the second part of the question, I can confirm what my hon. Friend said. I would remind the House that of the 2,201 cases in which parole was granted in 1970, only 43 involved an offence of robbery with a sentence of six years or more.

Mr. Tinn

Could the hon. and learned Gentleman give us a little more information about the reasons for recall in the small number of cases in which it was applied? Was it normally because other offences had been committed or for more technical reasons?

Mr. Carlisle

I can assist the hon. Member only to this extent, that of those who have been recalled, only about half had actually committed further offences. The other half would be in breach of other terms of their parole licence.