§ 3.6 p.m.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many persons serving sentences of life imprisonment have been released from prison in the past five years; and how long the actual period of imprisonment has been in each case.]
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (EARL BATHURST)My Lords, I must apologise again to the noble Lady that my answer to her Question must take the form of a tabulated list. With permission, I will circulate this Answer which contains a table with figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT for the information of your Lordships. Perhaps I could say to your Lordships, without taking too long, that the total number of prisoners serving life sentences released during the last five years was, in the case of men in England and Wales, 59; in the case of women was 8; and in the case of Scotland it was, men, 9 and no women.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer. Is he able to say the proportion of these cases who served less than ten years?
EARL BATHURSTMy Lords, I must thank the noble Lady for giving me notice of that question, which has meant that my mathematics could be done previous to my coming to the Box. The number of men in England and Wales who served less than ten years was 44.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl.
§ LORD TAYLORMy Lords, is that figure a number or a percentage?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, can the noble Earl say whether the tabulated list will indicate those former prisoners who have been released after serving a capital murder charge and those serving a term of life imprisonment for other crimes?
EARL BATHURSTMy Lords, I am afraid, No. That question was not actually in the noble Lady's Question. I imagine I could get those figures if the noble Lord would ask for them.
§ Following is the Table referred to in Lord Bathurst's Answer:
| NUMBER OF PRISONERS RELEASED | ||||
| Actual period of imprisonment | England and Wales | Scotland | ||
| Males | Females | Males | Females | |
| Less than 1 year | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1 year | — | 2 | — | — |
| 2 years | — | 2 | — | — |
| 3 years | 1 | — | — | — |
| 4 years | 1 | — | — | — |
| 5 years | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 6 years | — | 2 | — | — |
| 7 years | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| 8 years | 9 | — | 7 | — |
| 9 years | 25 | — | 1 | — |
| 10 years | 9 | — | 1 | — |
| 11 years | 5 | — | — | — |
| 20 years | 1 | — | — | — |
| Totals | 59 | 8 | 9 | — |