§ Mrs Renêe Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people convicted of rape or sex offences during the last seven years have won reductions on the length of their sentences resulting from Court of Appeal rulings.
§ Mr. MellorOf the 320 appellants to the Court of Appeal in 1984, against sentence for a sexual offence, 52 had a custodial sentence reduced; the corresponding figures in 1983 were 248 and 41. The numbers who had a custodial sentence reduced include 11 appellants in 1984 and 10 appellants in 1983 who had been convicted of rape. Corresponding information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information for 1985 is not yet available.