§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his general policy to release the relevant medical records of convicted murderers prior to their release.
§ Mrs. RumboldNo.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all those convicted murderers since 1979 who have been released from prison and subsequently were convicted for another murder.
§ Mrs. RumboldI assume that the question relates to convicted murderers released since 1979. There have been five: J. W. Charlton; K. Pollard; J. Johnson; M. N. Robinson; and M. J. Green.
38W
Year Force Additional cost £ Percentage increase in costs between each year (a) Labour 1987 Sussex 23,000 — 1988 Lancashire 61,000 + 165 1989 Sussex 4,000 - 93 1990 Lancashire 97,545 + 2,339 1991 Sussex 10,000 - 90 Percentage change between 1987 and 1991 = -57 per cent (b) Conservative 1987 Lancashire 829,000 — 1988 Sussex 1,400,000 + 69 1989 Lancashire 1,080,000 - 23 1990 Dorset 2,000,000 + 85 1991 Lancashire 1,379,000 - 31 Percentage change between 1987 and 1991 = +66 per cent (c) Liberal Democrats No identifiable 1987 N.A. policing costs — No identifiable 1988 Lancashire policing costs — No identifiable 1989 Sussex policing costs —
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors were considered in the decision to release convicted murderers from prison after serving sentence for a first murder.
§ Mrs. RumboldMy right hon. Friend may release a life sentence prisoner only if recommended to do so by the Parole Board and after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice and the trial judge if available. The main factors which are taken into account are whether the prisoner has been detained long enough to satisfy the requirements of retribution and deterrence for the offence, and whether it is considered safe to release him to the community.