Habitual Criminals (Sentences) (Hansard, 7 July 1997)

§ 7. Mr. Green
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce more severe minimum mandatory sentences for habitual (a) burglars and (b) dealers in hard drugs. [5512]

§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Ms Joyce Quin)
We are considering the relevant provisions of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 and we believe that tough punishments are appropriate for persistent burglars and dealers in hard drugs.

§ Mr. Green
When do the Minister and the Home Secretary intend to implement those sections of the 1997 Act that introduce minimum mandatory sentences for career burglars and drug dealers, whose actions cause so much misery to so many families?

§ Ms Quin
We are considering these matters, but it would not be wise to be bounced into a hasty decision when there are many factors to take into consideration. I understand that it is unlikely that some of the previous Government's provisions would have been introduced before 2001.

§ Mr. Pike
Does my hon. Friend recognise that many victims of habitual criminals resent the fact that the Crown Prosecution Service does not take their case into account because the accused has committed so many other offences, and that the victims are not even consulted about that?

§ Ms Quin
My hon. Friend makes an important point, and that is precisely why we are looking at different aspects of the issue.

§ Dr. Mawhinney
What is the Minister's problem? Is she against the idea of minimum mandatory sentences or against keeping repeat burglars and drug dealers in prison?

§ Ms Quin
I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on his new post in the shadow Cabinet. He knows that discussions have taken place on this matter, and that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and ministerial colleagues were in favour of minimum mandatory sentences for sex offenders and other violent offenders. The problems attached to some of the previous Government's other recommendations were obviously understood by that Government, given the long time scale that they attached to some of their own proposals.