§ 57. Sir J. Lucasasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of public concern about robbers who attack their victims with iron bars with the risk of permanent damage to the injured person; and if he will introduce legislation to make compulsory a minimum sentence of ten years in such cases.
§ Miss BaconMy right hon. and learned Friend is very much aware of the public concern about robberies, but in his view it would not be appropriate to interfere with the discretion of the courts to decide in the circumstances of each case what penalty to impose. The maximum sentence for this offence is life imprisonment.