HL Deb 31 January 1979 vol 398 cc318-9WA
Lord ALLEN of ABBEYDALE

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many prisoners are at present serving sentences of life imprisonment in England and Wales; how many of these have already been detained for (a) between 10 and 14 years and (b) longer than 14 years; and how many prisoners (if any) who are serving fixed sentences have already been detained for more than 10 years.

The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Boston of Faversham)

On 30th November 1978, 1,389 people in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales were serving sentences of life imprisonment or detention during Her Majesty's pleasure under Section 53(1) or detained for life under Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. One hundred and thirty of them had been detained since their sentence for between 10 and 14 years and 33 for more than 14 years. These figures do not include those who had previously been released on licence from a life sentence and who had subsequently been recalled to prison. On the same date there were 13 people in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales serving determinate sentences who had been detained for more than 10 years since their sentence.