§ 2. Sir George GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in extending the Attorney General's right to appeal against lenient sentences.
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Michael Howard)I expect shortly to be in a position to lay an appropriate order before the House.
§ Sir George GardinerMay I welcome my right hon. and learned Friend's initiative as part of the continuing war on violent crime? May I also welcome the extension of the scope to refer unduly lenient sentences for indecent assault and cruelty to children? Will my right hon. and learned Friend not close his mind to further extending the categories? Is he aware of the extreme public anger over unduly lenient sentences on youths who are found guilty, for example, of theft and car crime that in some cases involve penalties of a holiday in the sun?
§ Mr. HowardI try to never close my mind. It is right that that power, which was first given to the Attorney-General in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 in the teeth of most fierce opposition from the Opposition parties, should be reserved for the most serious offences. I shall certainly take into account what my hon. Friend has said.
§ Mr. AllenIn view of that answer, will the Home Secretary tell the House and the public why crime has increased by 124 per cent. since his Government came to power in 1979?
§ Mr. HowardCrime has increased by similiar amounts in almost every country in the western world. The Government have taken action to deal with crime by giving the police and the courts more powers and by giving the Attorney-General powers to refer lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal—all taken in the teeth of opposition from the parties opposite.