§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of life sentence prisoners who were released each year since 1981; and what was the number in each year whose release was proposed by the Parole Board and turned down by him or his predecessors.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe numbers of persons released from prison service establishments on life licence in each of the years 1979–89 were published in table 8.5 of "Prison statistics England and Wales 1989"—Cm. 1221—a copy of which is in the Library. The figures exclude those re-released following a period in prison after recall from a previous licence. In 1990, the latest year for which information is available, 81 people were released on life licence.
Information on the numbers of life sentence prisoners recommended as suitable for release by the Parole Board and the numbers of those recommendations not accepted by Home Secretaries is published in successive annual reports of the Parole Board. For convenience the figures for 1980–90, which include re-releases following a period in prison after recall from a previous licence, are set out in the table. Parole Board recommendations of "suitable for release" have been for dates ranging from the immediate future up to two and a half years ahead.
Life sentence prisoners recommended for release by the Parole Board 1989–90 Year of recommendation Recommended Not accepted by Home Secretary 1980 102 6 1981 147 4 1982 144 5 1983 121 16 1984 112 10 1985 94 16 1986 120 14 1987 147 23 1988 91 13 1989 119 15 1990 138 135 1 A further 30 cases were still under consideration by the Home Secretary at the end of 1990.