§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will bring forward legislation to amend Section 4 (3) of the Representation of the People Act 1949, as amended, in order to fulfil the recommendation of the Speaker's Conference intimated on 25th October 1973 to place patients in mental hospitals on the same footing as mental patients in general hospitals.
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§ Dr. SummerskillWe understand that the working party, which was set up to consider arrangements for the registration of mental patients in fulfilment of the Speaker's Conference recommendation, and which is under Department of Health and Social Security chairmanship, has reached an advanced stage in its work and is expected to report later this year. The Government will then consider the implementation of the recommendation in the light of the working party's report.
PERSONS TRIED AT THE CROWN COURT AND SENTENCED TO IMMEDIATE IMPRISONMENT FOR OFFENCES CLASSIFIED AS RAPE: BY LENGTH OF SENTENCE England and Wales: 1969 to 1973 Number of persons Length of Sentence Years Persons sentenced to imprisonment (immediate) Up to and Including 1 year Over 1 year and up to and including 5 years Over 5 years and up to and including 10 years Over 10 years excluding Life Life 1969 … … 136 8 101 23 1 3 1970 … … 188 18 139 25 — 6 1971 … … 179 12 133 28 1 5 1972 … … 188 9 149 26 1 3 1973 … … 217 13 168 33 1 2 Statistics for 1974 are not yet available.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make proposals to preserve the anonymity of women who give evidence in court on a charge of rape.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI have this under consideration.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will order an inquiry into the whole of the law relating to rape.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to his Question on 7th May.—[Vol. 891, c.442–3.]
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to conclude his study of the Law Lords' report on the law relating to rape; and what plans he has in regard to bringing forward new legislation on this subject.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI still have the House of Lords judgment and its implications under consideration, I hope to come to an early conclusion.