§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that(a) magistrates and (b) judges have sufficient information to make the most effective use of prison and probation services. [147367]
§ Paul GogginsPre-sentence reports prepared by the probation service provide information to the sentencing court about the offender and the offence(s) committed to assist the court to decide on a suitable sentence. The report analyses the offence; includes an offender assessment covering accommodation and employment, details of any substance misuse, mental illness, etc.; looks at patterns of offending and the outcome of any earlier court interventions. Each report contains a
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§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women were (i) serving a life sentence for murder and (ii) category A prisoners on 1 January. [148606]
§ Paul GogginsAt the end of November 2003, 3,546 males and 133 females were serving a life sentence for murder in prisons in England and Wales.
At the end of November 2003, 951 males and seven females who were in prisons in England and Wales were classified as Category A prisoners.
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in the percentage of remand prisoners who are women convicted and awaiting sentence. [142889]
§ Paul GogginsThe number and percentage of remand prisoners who are women convicted and awaiting sentence is given in the following table.
conclusion as to whether or not the offender is suitable for a community sentence and should make a clear and realistic proposal for sentence designed to protect the public and reduce re-offending, including for custody where that is necessary.
The Sentencing Guidelines Council will introduce a robust and comprehensive set of sentencing guidelines to assist the courts in their task of ensuring consistent and just disposals in all cases.