Junior Home Office Minister George Howarth said 90 lifers have absconded since 1991.

In a written answer, Mr Howarth said that in the last year 12 prisoners serving life sentences, including those imprisoned for murder, rape and other serious crimes, had escaped from low-security prisons.

George Howarth: Revealed the figures in a written reply

There are currently 380 life sentence prisoners in jails in England and Wales, Mr Howarth said in a separate written reply.

In a further written reply, the minister defended the detention of life prisoners in open prisons.

He said that decisions to transfer prisoners serving life sentences from higher category jails were taken after Parole Board recommendations.

Mr Howarth said: "A period in open conditions is regarded as essential for most life sentence prisoners before they are considered for release on life licence."

In making its recommendations, the Parole Board did take into account whether "the lifer is trustworthy enough not to abscond", he added.

Conman escapes

Mr Howarth's replies coincide with detectives discovering that a convicted conman they wanted to interview had escaped from Ford Open Prison in Sussex last month.

Anthony Passmore went on the run two months into a six-year sentence for fraud and conspiracy.