§ Lord AVEBURYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Members of either House would be permitted to sit in on the process of parole review, or to examine case papers presented to parole review committees, with a view to gaining a better understanding of the system.
§ Lord BELSTEADNo. A great deal of information about the parole system is readily available and arrangements can be made for further general briefing if any Member of either House desires it. Apart from the disturbance of the Board's work if all Members of both Houses were permitted to sit in at reviews, the case papers contain confidential personal information about the prisoners and their families including reports furnished in confidence by doctors and social workers. It would not be right to disclose this information to persons not directly involved in the administration of the parole scheme.