Written question asked by Lord Bellingham (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 July 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 October 2007. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Monday, 8 October 2007 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Parole

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost implications of the Court of Appeal ruling that prisoners should be compensated when they are detained beyond the date on which they are eligible for parole; what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who may fall within the terms of this ruling, broken down by period of detention beyond eligibility for parole; what steps he is taking to ensure that HM Prison Service ends this practice; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Her Majesty's Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts 2006-2007 details parole performance for the fiscal year 2006-07. Of those prisoners awarded parole, only 3 per cent. were subject to late release due to administrative delays. This is lower than in previous years and the Government are committed to ensuring that no prisoner is detained in prison beyond their parole eligibility date due to administrative delays.

Secondary information