§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, in view of the trial and conviction of the youth for raping a 92-yearold woman and the judge's comments at the trial, he will introduce legislation to make it possible for more severe sentences to be imposed in cases such as this;
(2) whether in view of the comments made by the judge at the trial of the man who raped a 92-year-old woman, he will seek to amend the Criminal Justice Act 1961 so that the normal age of 18 years applied to all other matters shall apply to all criminal offences.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe Government have made proposals in the Green Paper "Youth Custody and Supervision—A New Sentence"—Cmnd. 7406—which would lead to the revocation of section 3 of the Criminal Justice Act 1961.
No legislation is needed for the purpose indicated by my hon. Friend in his second question. The maximum sentence for rape is life imprisonment. In the case in question a penalty up to that maximum was available to the court.