Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including hon. Members in the Parole Board's decision-making process for parole for people convicted of very serious crimes.

Parole Board decisions are inherently judicial in nature. It is well established in case law, and clearly set out in the ECHR compliant provisions relating to the Board’s processes, that the detention of prisoners beyond the minimum period set by the sentencing court must be decided independently by a court or court-like body.

The Government is committed to reviewing the Parole process to ensure that the system is transparent and effective.