§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any arrangements are being made to provide accommodation for prisoners released on parole as a result of the changes in the parole regulations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorThe Home Office after-care scheme contributes to the provision of some 3,800 places in a range of accommodation projects which are available to offenders released from prison, including those on parole, and the scheme will continue to expand in 1984–85. In addition 67 approved probation hostels also accept offenders released on parole in cases of exceptional need.
§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners he estimates will be released from 1 June as a result of changes in the parole regulations.
§ Mr. HurdI am not sure whether the hon. Member is primarily interested in the numerical consequences of the reduction in the minimum qualifying period for parole with effect from 1 July 1984, or those of the restriction of parole for certain longer-term violent offenders and drug traffickers. So far as the restriction of parole is concerned I refer him to the reply given to the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Dubs) on 29 February at column221.
As a result of the reduction in the minimum qualifying period for parole we estimate that over 4,000 prisoners and young offenders will have parole eligibility dates in the first week in July, but we cannot say how many of these will actually be granted parole or on what date they would be released on licence. More generally, it has been estimated that the reduction of the minimum qualifying period to six months will bring about another 12,500 offenders per year into the scope of the parole scheme, and that up to 80 per cent. of these are likely to be released on licence.