HL Deb 30 October 1986 vol 481 cc786-7

3.6 p.m.

Baroness Ewart-Biggs

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether discharged prisoners are given adequate documentary evidence of identity in a form acceptable to social security offices.

Lord Beaverbrook

Yes, my Lords. All discharged prisoners are given a form which introduces them to their local DHSS office and contains details which assist the prompt consideration of claims for benefit.

Baroness Ewart-Biggs

My Lords, I should like to thank the Minister for answering my Question, though the Answer is not a very satisfactory one. Does not the Minister agree that many prisoners on discharge cannot get their social security payment from the DHSS office, nor can they get their Giro cheque cashed if they are homeless and have no form of identification? Is he further aware that New Bridge, of which I am chairman, out of its slender resources often has to give £5 to a discharged offender so that he can get a copy of his birth certificate?

Does not the noble Lord think that it would be a good idea if prisons were to issue a standard form of identification to prisoners in order to stop them being destitute at a very vulnerable time, just after they have been released, when they might easily return to crime?

Lord Beaverbrook

My Lords, I am well aware of the noble Baroness's work in this area. We are not aware that former prisoners, or indeed other claimants, have special difficulties compared with other citizens in establishing their identity. We have no national system of identity cards. We all have to rely on a range of licences, passes and other miscellaneous documents to establish our identities.

We have considered this matter but we concluded that it would be impossible for us to devise any identity document specifically for the use of former prisoners which did not carry the stigma of previous imprisonment.

Baroness Ewart-Biggs

My Lords, but does not the Minister agree that an ex-offender does not have a driving licence or those other forms of identification that others of us may have, and therefore he has no way of proving his identity at the post office or the DHSS office?

Lord Beaverbrook

My Lords, once prisoners are discharged from prison they should really be treated no differently from any other citizen, and at one time or another we all have to prove our identity.

Lord Graham of Edmonton

My Lords, is the Minister aware that NACRO, an organisation of the highest repute, says that ex-prisoners are finding difficulty in establishing their identity? I noted carefully what the Minister said concerning an identification document or form which is issued, but if the nature of that form causes the sort of problems that mean that an ex-prisoner who has served his sentence and paid for his crime is then faced with insuperable difficulties, this may well lead him ultimately to resort to further crime. Can the Minister not indicate that he is prepared to examine closely what NACRO tells us on this matter?

Lord Beaverbrook

My Lords, I must repeat that we are not aware of any substantial or widespread difficulties with the arrangements I have described. However, if the noble Lord has details of any specific case I should be delighted to look into that case.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, in view of these substantial exchanges, perhaps the noble Lord would discuss the matter with his right honourable friend and ask him to think very carefully as to what may be done to assist in these cases. While I agree with what he says about identity cards, would it not be reasonable for the governor of a prison to give the affected person a letter when he leaves which may be produced by him to the appropriate authorities, to help him and to avoid any possibility that he may return to crime?

Lord Beaverbrook

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition. Prison authorities give every discharged prisoner a form with a prison stamp which assists him in getting in touch with his DHSS office. Once the DHSS office has issued him with his appropriate entitlements, then an ex-offender has to cash his cheque just as any other person would, whether an ex-offender or not.