Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, with respect to the advice of Parole Board psychologists and psychiatrists relating to a sex offender being considered for release, what level of risk of offending is considered suitable for release.

Where the release of a prisoner is at the discretion of the Parole Board, the panel must apply the statutory release test which requires the Board to be ‘satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that a prisoner should be confined’.

Parole panels comprise one or more members according to the needs and complexity of the case. Some, but not all, Parole Board panels include a psychologist member of the Parole Board.

At an oral hearing, the parole panel will hear evidence and witnesses may include a prison psychologist and/or an independent psychologist.

Psychologist members of the Parole Board do not undertake psychological assessment of prisoners nor do they give evidence to the parole panel. They sit in the same capacity as other members of the panel to assess the risk of serious harm to the public. The panel must determine whether the public would be at risk of further serious violent or sexual offending if the prisoner were to be released. Psychologist members have professional knowledge of psychology to assist the panel in considering the psychological assessment that forms part of the broad range of evidence before the panel.