HC Deb 22 July 1977 vol 935 cc729-30W
Mr. Peter Morrison

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of attempted escapes from prisons in England, Scotland and Wales, together with the number of successful escapes; and whether he will publish separate figures for Northern Ireland.

Mr. John

In the first six months of this year 19 prisoners escaped from prisons and remand centres in England and Wales and a further 51 attempted to escape. The numbers for previous years are published in the annual reports on the work of the Prison Department, copies of which are in the Library. The report for 1976 was published on 21st July (Cmnd. 6877 and 6884). Responsibility for prisons in Scotland rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, and for prisons in in Scotland on trunk roads on 31st March 1977.

Mr. McElhone

About 184 miles.