HC Deb 25 July 1984 vol 64 cc644-5W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people sentenced to life imprisonment were released from prison on licence between 1971 and 1983.

Mr. Mellor

Eight hundred and fifty three life sentence prisoners were released from prisons in England and Wales between 1971 and 1983, including persons sentenced to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure or for life under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, but not persons who had previously been released on licence and subsequently recalled to prison.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many life sentence prisoners released on licence between 1971 and 1983 have subsequently committed further offences; what was the total number of offences involved; and how many involved violence, including robbery, or sex;

(2) how many of the offences committed by life sentence prisoners released on licence between 1971 and 1983 were of murder, manslaughter, rape, grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, robbery, burglary, theft and handling stolen goods, shoplifting, drunkenness and damaging property, respectively.

Mr. Hurd

The Department is aware of 382 offences committed after release by 191 life sentence prisoners. These were as follows:

Offences known to have been committed by those released on licence 1971–83
Type of offence Number of offences
Murder 7
Manslaughter 4
Causing grievous bodily harm 4
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm 21
Wounding 16
Common assault 9
Assaulting a police officer 4
Possessing an offensive weapon 11
Threatening behaviour 4
Rape 2
Buggery 1
Indecent assault 7
Indecent exposure 2
Abducting a girl 3
Unlawful sexual intercourse 3
Robbery 14
Burglary 25
Aggravated burglary 1
Theft 88
Shiplifting 26
Handling stolen goods 9
Arson 1
Offences relating to drugs 15
Drunk and disorderly 17
Damaging property 17
Breach of the peace 9
Motoring offences 61
Perverting the course of justice 1
Total 382