§ Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgateasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to change the way in which early release is considered for determinate sentence prisoners. [HL3347]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)The Parole Board presently has delegated authority to take decisions on the grant of parole to determinate sentence prisoners who are serving at least four years and less than seven years and who were sentenced after 1 October 1992. I have today published a consultation document,Improving Parole Decision Making, which proposes that the scope of this delegated authority should be extended to encompass all determinate sentence prisoners serving a sentence of up to, but not including, 15 years. There are no plans to change the current arrangements for considering the release of prisoners serving discretionary or mandatory life sentences. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library.