Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will request that the Parole Board publish the basis on which it took the decision to release Harry Roberts from prison in October 2014.

The decision to release Roberts was made by the independent Parole Board based on the risk presented by him. It is not appropriate for Ministers to interfere with decisions of the Parole Board to release an offender, or to seek disclosure of the Board’s reasoning.

Since Roberts’ release, the Government has changed the law so that the sentencing starting point is a whole life order for anyone who is over age 21 and convicted of the murder of a police or prison officer.