HC Deb 13 February 1984 vol 54 cc9-11W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in each of the past five years, how many

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Total
Cases referred to the Court of Appeal under Section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 in respect of conviction 3 3 1 4 2 13

decision, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given on 25 July 1983 by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the question from the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Meadowcroft). — [Vol. 46, c. 338.] Information on applications from elderly relatives is not separately available; such applicants are recorded under "other dependent relatives" in the table below.

Information on British passport holders in Bangladesh and Pakistan without the right of abode, and on the percentage of applications referred to the Home Office for a decision, is not available but the numbers of applications referred are given in the following table, together with the information requested.

requests for a review of their cases were made by (a) convicted prisoners, (b) their representatives or (c) other people or organisations; how many of such requests led to a review; how many led to a quashing of the conviction; and if he will express the last two sets of figures as percentages of the requests made.

Mr. Brittan

We have no precise information about the number of such requests received, but a sample survey undertaken for the purpose of providing evidence of the Select Committee on Home Affairs in 1982 suggests that in recent years the number of cases in which representations alleging wrongful conviction have been received in the Home Office has been of the order of 1,900 per year. All such representations are carefully considered to see whether or not they provide grounds for any action with respect to the conviction. The number of cases in which action was taken at the instance of the Home Secretary is shown in the following table.

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Total
Convictions quashed following reference to the Court of Appeal in the same or a previous year 4 Nil 1 2 4 11
Free Pardon Granted
(a) where non-custodial penalty imposed 136 282 167 83 143 811
(b) where custodial penalty imposed Nil Nil 1 1 Nil 2

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will detail the procedure that is followed when a request for a review of a convicted prisoner's case is made; what evidence is considered; and what are the criteria for recommending support of the request.

Mr. Brittan

The way in which representations concerning wrongful conviction are dealt with in the Home Office is set out in the evidence printed with the sixth report from the Select Committee on Home Affairs (HC 421, Session 1981–82) and in the Government's reply (Cmnd. 8856).