Labour peer Lord Cryer has said the early release scheme was “a mistake” and said he would not oppose Parliament being recalled before September to debate the issue.

Speaking on GB News he said: “What we’re living with is massive underinvestment in the prison system over a very long period of time.

“The early release scheme, I think, was done with the best of intentions, but we’re now in a position where a lot of people are going to be released in September.

“I suspect actually, they largely will not be dangerous criminals, but some of them will be, and we’re already seeing that.

“Now that was, as I say, was done for the best of intentions, but that was clearly a mistake, and what we should actually be doing is ensuring that people serve their proper sentences.

“The leader of the Rochdale grooming gang, Shabir Ahmed, he was sentenced to about 20 years. He got out in about half that time.

“As we’re hurtling towards September when this will happen, I haven’t got a problem with [recalling Parliament].

“If you remember when Johnny Reynolds was business secretary, which he’s gone back to now, he recalled both houses to pass the legislation which allowed the government to take control of the blast furnaces in Scunthorpe and therefore maintain steel production, which was the right thing to do.

“I thought it was the right thing to do then and I don’t have any particular problem with doing it now.”