HL Deb 13 July 1983 vol 443 cc886-8WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many prisoners there were in prison department establishments serving life sentences or detained for life under Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 for offences other than murder or manslaughter on 30th September 1982: how many had been recalled after being released on licence: how many of those who had not been released on licence had been sentenced more than 10 years previously, and how many of those recalled after being released on licence had been in custody for more than 10 years since their sentence.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)

The information readily available centrally shows on 30th September 1982, 251 persons in prison department establishments in England and Wales, including 12 who had been recalled after being released on licence, serving sentences of life imprisonment or detained for life under Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 for offences other than murder or manslaughter. Forty-four of those who had not been released on licence had been received into a prison department establishment under sentence more than 10 years previously. Three of the 12 who had been released on licence had served more than 10 years in prison department establishments under sentence before their release on licence.

Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many life-sentence prisoners convicted on charges of homicide had served more than 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 years respectively as at 1st June 1983; and how many of these prisoners in each case were in each security category

Lord Elton

The information readily available is given in the following table:

POPULATION(1) OF LIFE-SENTENCE PRISONERS(2) IN PRISON DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHMENTS ON 31sT MAY 1983 WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF MURDER OR MANSLAUGHTER: BY TIME SINCE INITIAL RECEPTION(3) INTO A PRISON DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHMENT UNDER SENTENCE AND SECURITY CATEGORY
Number(1)
Time since initial reception(3) into a prison department establishment under sentence (years) Security category
A B C D Not categorised Total Of which recalls(4)
10 3 13 10 24 — 50 —
11 4 17 4 15 — 40 1
12 1 13 4 10 — 28 1
13 2 7 4 7 — 20 2
14 3 10 2 11 1 27 1
15 — 4 2 8 — 14 1
16 2 4 3 2 — 11 —
17 1 6 4 4 1 16 4
18 — 2 — 2 — 4 1
19 — 1 2 1 1 5 2
20 and over 1 14 8 6 2 31 17
(1) The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.
(2) Includes persons detailed under Section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.
(3) Includes time spent on licence by prisoners recalled after having been released on licence.
(4) Prisoners who had been recalled after having been released on licence.