Prisoner Releases in Error Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Prisoner Releases in Error

James Wild Excerpts
Tuesday 11th November 2025

(1 day, 15 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Lammy Portrait Mr Lammy
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My hon. Friend is right to put the victims and the anxiety that they will be feeling front and centre. I have published more data today on this issue than ever before because I recognise the public’s concern at this time, but it is right that I work with the police and our enforcement agencies on the publication of particular cases—sometimes victims have not been informed, it would be dangerous to publish names or, indeed, a prisoner would get to know that he or she is being looked for and go underground—in order to protect the public, and absolutely to protect victims.

James Wild Portrait James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)
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Public safety should be the Justice Secretary’s priority, so why did it take six days for the Metropolitan police to be informed that a sex offender had been wrongly released from HMP Wandsworth?

David Lammy Portrait Mr Lammy
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As I said, I have apologised from the Dispatch Box. Human error is in the system. There are delays not just within our prisons but between different agencies, and that is why I have put in place the query system in particular.