§ MR. HORNIMAN (Chelsea)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered, or will consider, the question of fixing a minimum, as well as a maximum, penalty for indecent assault and kindred offences committed against children and young persons, in view of the fact that at the present time prisoners can be, and sometimes are, awarded no punishment, but simply bound over in relatively small sums to come up for judgment if called upon.
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELTo fix a minimum penalty for an offence would be contrary to the general policy of the law, and is in the opinion of the Home Secretary in most cases undesirable. I do not think offences of the kind referred to by my hon. friend could be made exceptions to the general rule. It is only in very rare cases and in exceptional circumstances that they are dealt with by merely binding over the defendant.