§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce parole for prisoners sentenced for civil matters; and if he will make a statement. [48999]
§ Mr. MichaelThe Government have no plans to change the arrangements for the release of prisoners sentenced for civil matters. Civil prisoners, who are invariably short term prisoners (i.e. those serving less than four years), are not eligible for "parole" in its true sense. That is because all short term prisoners are subject to automatic early release at the half way point of their sentence under the Criminal Justice Act 1991. The only prisoners who are now eligible for release at the discretion of the Parole Board are long term prisoners serving sentences of four years or more and life sentence prisoners.