§ 13. Mr. Yeoasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that non-custodial sentences are being given, wherever possible, to those people convicted of non-violent offences.
§ Mr. MellorThe courts impose non-custodial sentences on most non-violent offenders and the Court of Appeal has made it clear that in such cases custody should be avoided wherever possible. The application of that principle to particular cases is a matter for the discretion of the courts.
§ Mr. YeoI recognise that prison sentences are essential for certain types of violent offender, not least for public protection, but can my hon. Friend say whether the very welcome and interesting proposals made yesterday by the Home Secretary herald a trend towards greater use of non-custodial sentences, whose effectiveness in preventing rather than punishing crime may have long-term benefits?
§ Mr. MellorI am not sure whether it is inconsistent to recognise on the one hand that there must be room for custodial sentences, even for some non-violent offences such as burglary, where it is the courts' duty to pass custodial sentences, when, on the other hand, my right hon. and learned Friend is only too well aware of the need for fresh imagination in dealing with less serious offences—something that he is considering.