§ 18. Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on his Department's policy concerning guideline sentences for persons convicted of the murder of members of the security forces.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe Government are conscious of the great debt which the community in Northern Ireland owes to members of the security forces. All life sentences are regularly reviewed. A provisional release date is set only when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is satisfied that a period appropriate to the nature of the crime, and the offender's role in it, has been served and that the risk of reoffending is minimal. The case of each terrorist convicted of murder is dealt with according to those criteria.