§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for what purpose category subsections A: high risk and A: exceptional risk were introduced; and how many prisoners there have been in each category to date;
(2) how many categories of security there are within category A; and for how long there has been no more than one subsection.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThere are three levels of escape risk classification for category A prisoners: standard, high and exceptional. This arrangement was introduced in its present form in 1988 in order to assist operational management. On 31 December 1992, there were 558 category A prisoners in custody. Of these, 457 were classified as standard escape risk, 79 as high escape risk and 22 as exceptional escape risk. Information on the numbers of prisoners held in each escape risk classification since 1988 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.