§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have escaped whilst being transported to and from court appearances and hospital visits since 1990; and how many remain uncaptured. [165]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to he given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 23 November 1995:
293WThe Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many prisoners have escaped while being transported to and from court appearances and hospital visits since 1990 and how many remain uncaptured.The information is given in the table below:
Number Crown Courts 50 Magistrates Courts 137 Hospital visits—outpatients 34 Hospital visits—inpatients 188 The information covers the period 1 January 1990 to 31 October 1995.
Prison Service records show that 26 of the escapers from court appearances and hospital visits remain uncaptured.