§ Lord Dholakiaasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made with the review of the Parole Board and the operation of supervised conditional release in the light of the study by the University of Oxford Centre for Criminological Research, The Parole System at Work: A study in Decision Making (Home Office Research Study No 202); and whether consideration has been given to extending the function of HM Inspectorate of Prisons to include the parole process. [HL460]
64WA
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe final report of the Quinquennial Review of the Parole Board and the associated Comprehensive Review of the wider parole processes for determinate and life sentenced prisoners will be completed shortly. The Home Secretary has already accepted an earlier recommendation from the Quinquennial Review that the Parole Board should continue in its capacity as a Non-Departmental Public Body. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons already monitors the procedures in prison establishments in England and Wales by which prisoners receive parole decisions. This function includes the examination of the timeliness of those procedures and sampling the quality of parole reports.