Life Sentence Prisoners

HC Deb 26 January 1983 vol 35 cc449-50W

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many life sentence prisoners were in custody on any convenient date in (a) 1950, (b) 1955, (c) 1960, (d) 1965, (e) 1970, (f) 1975, (g) 1980 and (h) 1982; and of these how many had been in custody for more than 10 years.

Mr. Mellor

Information on the average population of prisoners serving life sentences is published each year in "Prison statistics" (Table 1.2 of the volume for 1981, Cmnd. 8654). The additional information readily available is given in the following table. Figures for the earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Population* of life sentence prisoners† in prison department establishments on 30 June: by time since initial reception into a prison department establishment under sentence
Number*
	Time since initial reception‡ to a prison department establishment under sentence
Year	Up to 10 years	Over 10 years	Total
1975
Total	1,021	109	1,130
Of which recalls≑	5	2	7
1980
Total	1,307	255	1,562
Of which recalls≑	1	34	35
1982
Total	1,476	311	1,787
Of which recalls≑	3	54	57
* The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.
† Includes persons detained under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.
‡ Includes time spent on licence by prisoners recalled after having been released on licence.
≑ Prisoners who had been recalled after having been released on licence.