§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were released from life sentences for murder over the last 10 years; and what was the average length of time served.
§ Mr. Mellor[pursuant to the reply, 30 June, c. 111]: Provision of all the information requested would involve 219W disproportionate cost. The numbers of persons released from sentences for murder are given in the following table. The average time served under sentence by those first released in 1980–82 was about 10½ years. However, there is wide variation in the periods served in custody from which such averages are calculated; in these three years the periods served ranged up to 20 years and there are still in custody some who have served much longer periods. This average does not take account of any time that may have been served in other custodial care before entering a prison department establishment, nor of any time spent in custody on remand, and it does not cover time served by those who died in custody. Also it does not fully reflect the longest periods likely to be served by some of those given life sentences following the abolition of capital punishment in 1965.
Persons convicted of murder released on licence* from prison department establishments in England and Wales after having served sentences Year Number 1973 29 1974 35
Persons proceeded against for murder* and remanded on bail England and Wales Number of persons Court in which proceedings were completed 1980 1981 Total proceedings completed of which remanded on bail at some stage Total proceedings completed of which remanded on bail at some stage Magistrates' courts 453 †79 443 †85 The Crown Court‡ 251 27 168 13 * Excluding attempted murder. † Bail granted by the police and/or magistrates. ‡ These persons will have previously appeared in magistrates' courts and are also included in the figures for magistrates' courts in the appropriate year.