§ Mr. Higginsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will reject immediately proposals for lower maximum sentences for rape put forward in the report of the Advisory Council on the Penal System;
(2) if he will reject immediately proposals for lower maximum sentences for murder and manslaughter put forward in the report of the Advisory Council on the Penal System.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe assumptions in these Questions are wrong. Although the Council expressed the view that life imprisonment should become the maximum, instead of the mandatory, penalty for murder, it made no formal recommendation to that effect, and it proposed no change in the maximum penalty for manslaughter. In relation to rape, as to other serious offences, it proposed that the court should be able to pass an exceptionally high sentence, which in cases of rape might be life imprisonment, if it120W was satisfied that the offender posed a risk of serious harm to the public.
I have informed the hon. Member in reply to another Question that, before forming my own conclusions, I want to hear informed opinions on the proposals.
§ Mr. Higginsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government propose to express a view on the report of the Advisory Council on the Penal System.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesWhen there has been time to consider informed opinion on the proposals.
§ Mr. Higginsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he had with the chairman of the Advisory Council on the Penal System prior to her statement that she hoped that the recommendations in the Advisory Council's report advocating a reduction in prison sentences would influence the courts in advance of legislation.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesNone.