§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prisoners in England and Wales sentenced to terms of imprisonment of five or more years who in each year since 1989 were released with(a) under 50 per cent., (b) 50 per cent., (c) 50 per cent. to 60 per cent., (d) 60 per cent. to 69 per cent., (e) 70 per cent. to 79 per cent., (f) 80 per cent. to 89 per cent., (g) 90 per cent. to 99 per cent., (h) 100 per cent. of their term served and the percentages of the group serving five or more years who were released in each of those years within those per cent. stepped categories. [42141]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Brian Landers to Mr. Robert McCartney, dated 8 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking if he will list the number of prisoners in England and Wales sentenced to terms of imprisonment of five or more years who in each year since 1989 were released with (a) under 50 per cent, (b) 50 per cent, (c) 50 per cent to 60 per cent, (d) 60 per cent to 69 per cent, (e) 70 per cent to 79 per cent, (f) 80 per cent to 89 per cent, (g) 90 per cent to 99 per cent, (h) 100 per cent of their term served and the percentages of the group serving five or more years who were released in each of those years within those per cent stepped categories.The information could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The available information relates to time served between the date of sentence and the release date and excludes time served on remand. It is published in "Prison statistics, England and Wales" (tables 3.14, 4.13 and 5.12 of the 1993 edition, Cm 2893) a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Prisoners sentenced to five or more years since October 1992 are released under Part II of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. Release occurs after serving two thirds of sentence (or earlier if granted discretionary conditional release) subject to a minimum of half the sentence. For prisoners sentenced before October 1992, eligibility for consideration for early release occurred after serving one third of sentence, subject to a minimum of six months served following the date of sentence.