To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will refer the case of Michael Thynne of Her Majesty's prison Bristol to the Parole Board as soon as the revised procedures for reviewing discretionary life prisoners are in operation.

Over 200 discretionary life sentence prisoners will be entitled to have their cases considered by the Parole Board when the provisions of part II of the Criminal Justice Bill come into effect. We shall need to consider, in consultation with the board, how they should be dealt with and what priorities should be established. The comments made by the European court of human rights on Mr. Thynne's case will be fully taken into account in that consideration.