§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department assuming a constant rate of inflation at the level of the last 12 months, what will be the total cost to public funds of the imprisonment of the convicted IRA murderers sentenced by Mr. Justice Cantley to serve 30 years' imprisonment.
§ Mr. JohnThese four men were sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that they should be detained for a minimum period of 30 years; it cannot be assumed that they will be released in 30 years' time. Based on the total expenditure on prisons in England382W and Wales in 1975–76, the average annual cost of a prisoner is about £4,000. But, bearing in mind the inevitable preponderance of fixed costs of a prison system dealing with a population of some 40,000, it would not be meaningful to use this figure —with or without any hypothetical assumptions about inflation—for calculating the additional coast of maintaining four extra prisoners over the next 30 years or so.
§ Mr. Gowasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list in the Official Report the names of those convicted of terrorist offences who have been released on licence on parole or whose sentences have been remitted since 1st March 1974; what were the offences for which each such person was convicted and what was the sentence imposed in each case; and how many persons convicted of terrorist offences are still in prison.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThere is no category of terrorist offences in Great Britain; and it would require disproportionate effort to examine the records of offenders since 1st March 1974 to determine who had committed terrorist type offences. As regards prisoners whose offences were connected with Irish Republican organisations, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to a Question by my right hon. Friend the Member for Teesside. Middlesbrough (Mr. Bottomley) on 16th February—[Vol. 926, c. 239-241].