Mr. Edward TaylorOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I seek your guidance on an answer which I received from the Home Office yesterday, which is reported in col. 24 of the Official Report. The Minister of State, Home Office, declined to give the average number of years served by persons released from prison after serving life sentences on the ground that such information was unrealistic and could be misleading.
On 11th February last year I asked the Home Secretary for the same information, the average figures for each of the years 1961–1971, and was provided with that information in great detail. This astonishing change of attitude will be difficult to explain at any time; but I should point out that, as this figure is one of the key statistics relevant to my Private Member's Bill on Friday, I should 221 like to ask whether you, Mr. Speaker, can protect me and the House against the withholding of information which was supplied last year and could, if disclosed, greatly influence any decision which may be made by the House on Friday.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am grateful to the hon. Member for indicating to me beforehand that he proposed to raise this point of order and the nature of it. This is not a matter for me. I have consulted Erskine May, and the answer there is that an answer to a Question cannot be insisted upon if the answer be refused by a Minister. However, I have no doubt that the hon. Member's point has been noted.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Mark Carlisle)Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I apologise to my hon. Friend if the information which we gave in reply to his Question did not wholly answer it. I understand that the arithmetic to divide the figure into an average is not done, but I will make sure that my hon. Friend gets the information today.