HC Deb 10 March 1964 vol 691 cc35-6W
Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in HANSARD comparative figures showing the frequency of escapes from

Type of prison Population on 1st January, 1963 Number received Total turnover Number of escapes Percentage of turnover
Open … … 3,224 11,000 14,224 200 1.4
Secure:
Local … … 16,003 70,000 60,000 25 0.04
Others … … 5,590 10,863 16,453 34 0.20

Open prisons and secure prisons other than local prisons receive their population by transfer from the secure local prisons, and in estimating the number of prisoners at risk in secure local prisons, the number of prisoners transferred to other prisons has been deducted from the estimated number of all receptions.

Untried prisoners received into the secure local prisons during the year are not included in the total of 70,000 convicted and civil prisoners referred to above.

Sir H. Studholme

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the communication he has sent to the police about the prosecution of escaped prisoners for offences they have committed in order to further their escapes.

Mr. Brooke

I have sent no such communication. The prosecution of such offences is entirely a matter for chief officers of police, with which I have nothing to do.

ordinary and from open prisons; and what percentage of the total prison population, in each category, is represented by these figures.

Mr. Brooke

The population of prisons on 1st January, 1963, was 24,817. During 1963 the number of receptions of convicted and civil prisoners was about 70,000. Among these would be included some individuals who were received more than once during the year. The total number of prisoners who represented an escape risk during the year connot therefore be calculated precisely but is estimated to have been about 90,000.

The numbers of escapes from different types of prison during 1963 was as follows:

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