HC Deb 20 May 1994 vol 243 cc585-6W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in what open prison establishment Darius Guppy has been held since beginning his prison sentence;

(2) for how long Darius Guppy was held in a closed prison establishment after he had been sentenced; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what security is given to Darius Guppy when he is allowed out of prison;

(4) what is the earliest date of release that Darius Guppy has been given following his sentence; and if he will make a statement;

(5) on how many occasions Darius Guppy has been allowed out of prison, and for what reasons, since commencing his prison sentence.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 20 May 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Darius Guppy. Since the beginning of his prison sentence Mr. Guppy has been held in three different open prisons; Kirkham, Standford Hill, and Ford. He was initially held in closed conditions for just over four weeks whilst his security category was assessed and allocation decided. Mr. Guppy is classified as a category D prisoner. This means that he has been assessed as a person who can reasonably be trusted to serve his sentence in open conditions without absconding, and also that he is not considered to pose any threat to members of the public. Prisoners in category D who are granted temporary release are subject to licence conditions but are not generally subject to a physical escort. Failure to comply with the licence conditions is an offence under Prison Rules and may lead to a return to closed conditions as well as a delayed release date. Since beginning his sentence on 25 March 1993 Mr. Guppy has been allowed out of prison on a total of 19 occasions, most of which have been for meetings with solicitors, counsel, insolvency consultants and appearances in court. Unless he is granted parole on or after 12 August 1995, the earliest date for Mr. Guppy's release is 12 June 1996.