§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of prisoners is currently notified of their parole decision after their parole eligibility date in respect of each prison; [7007]
(2) what plans he has to increase resources to (a) eliminate delays and (b) reduce the backlog of parole eligibility cases; [7009]
(3) what assessment he has made of (a) the cost and (b) the impact on prisoner morale of notifying prisoners of parole eligibility after their parole eligibility date. [7008]
§ Miss WiddecombeAlthough parole delays cause an increase in the total number of prisoners in custody at any one time, the marginal cost for each establishment is low.
I do not think parole delays are acceptable. They are unfair to prisoners and an inefficient use of resources. I have asked officials to take steps to reduce the delays. The measures taken include: issuing an instruction to governors stressing the importance of completing parole dossiers on time and of avoiding the transfer of prisoners just before parole board interviews; giving the parole board extra temporary staff, and securing the appointment of sufficient parole board members to undertake interviews and panelling works.
Provisional figures for 1995 show that, for those establishments holding the majority of prisoners eligible for parole, the percentages of prisoners who received their parole decisions after their parole eligibility date, or its anniversary, are given in the table.
372W
Prison Percentage of prisoners receiving late parole notifications Acklington 57 Albany 79 Ashwell 70 Askham Grange 58 Aylesbury 79 Belmarsh 79 Birmingham 79 Blantyre House 84 Blundeston 67 Bristol 55
Prison Percentage of prisoners receiving late parole notifications Brockhill 82 Buckley Hall 76 Bullingdon 82 Camp Hill 72 Canterbury 89 Castington 38 Channings Wood 82 Coldingley 78 Dartmoor 81 Deerbolt 73 Dover 64 Downview 77 Durham 62 East Sutton Park 71 Elmley 78 Erlestoke 86 Everthorpe 86 Featherstone 81 Ford 71 Frankland 46 Full Sutton 55 Garth 72 Glen Parva 93 Grendon 68 Haverigg 69 Hewell Grange 93 Highdown 77 Highpoint 74 Hollesley Bay 86 Holme House 53 Huntercombe 70 Kirkham 86 Kirklevington 65 Lancaster 94 Latchmere House 83 Leeds 96 Leyhill 89 Lindholm 71 Liverpool 80 Littlehey 80 Long Lartin 82 Maidstone 77 Manchester 73 Moorland 69 The Mount 92 North Sea Camp 82 Nottingham 82 Parkhurst 76 Pentonville 100 Portland 91 Ranby 77 Risley 86 Rochester 76 Shepton Mallet 69 Stafford 87 Standford Hill 84 Stocken 85 Styal 77 Sudbury 85 Swaleside 56 Swinfen Hall 88 Usk 79 The Verne 69 Wakefield 89 Wandsworth 76 Wayland 78 Wealstun 68 Whatton 87 Whitemoor 81 Wymott 88