§ 12. Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about sentencing policy for crimes of burglary, car theft and shoplifting. [25048]
§ Mr. HowardI receive many representations about sentencing policy, including widespread support for the proposals set out in the White Paper, "Protecting the Public"
§ Mr. NicholsonMy right hon. and learned Friend will be pleased to learn that there is widespread support in my constituency for his proposals for greater certainty in 581 sentencing. Is he aware that businesses in my constituency which have suffered through burglary or shoplifting—not just the theft of a tea cake but the theft of hundreds of pounds' worth of household or DIY equipment—expect the courts to provide at least loss of liberty or custody, not just probation, for persistent offenders? Will my right hon. and learned Friend contrast that concern with the lightness with which the Leader of the Opposition recently treated such matters?
§ Mr. HowardI entirely agree with my hon. Friend about sentencing. I am sure that he will have drawn the attention of his shopkeeping constituents to the fact that the Leader of the Opposition has been going up and down the country making speeches which excuse shoplifters. The Leader of the Opposition will go down in history as the pilferer's friend.