PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Terrorism: Prisoners' Release (21 February 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000, quarterly updates, Table P.05, how many offenders convicted under terrorism and terrorism related offences, excluding anyone serving a sentence of less than one year, were released before serving the full custodial term of their sentence in each year since 2013.

Asked by:
Sir John Hayes (Conservative)

The Home Office collects data from Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service and the Scottish Prisons Service on the number of terrorist prisoners released from prison custody, by length of sentence. However, data is not collected on whether the prisoner was released before serving the full custodial term of their sentence.

The requested information is held in individual prisoner records, is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Last month, following the attack in Streatham, the Government took decisive action by introducing emergency legislation to prevent terrorist offenders being released early automatically, and ensure that the release of any such offender before the end of their sentence will be dependent on a thorough risk assessment by the Parole Board. On 26 February, the legislation received Royal Assent and the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020 came into force.

National security is the first priority of this Government and we are determined to ensure that dangerous terrorists are not free to spread their hateful ideologies or harm the public.

Answered by:
James Brokenshire (Conservative)
6 April 2020