HC Deb 18 December 1989 vol 164 cc13-4W
Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that women are made less vulnerable to crimes of violence through a review of the present framework of legislation and its application in order to sustain a more appropriate relationship between the damage done to victims and the penalties awarded to convicted criminals.

Mr. Cope

The criminal law is reviewed on a continuous basis, but the application of the legislation concerned is a matter for the courts to determine, taking into account all the circumstances of each individual case. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the maximum penalty in Northern Ireland for attempted rape has recently been

1989
July August September October November
Number of searches
Total number of searches carried out 19 56 40 53 32
Total number of inmates searched 15 31 24 25 22
Number of prisoners searched once 11 17 15 15 16
Number of prisoners searched twice 4 12 8 7 5

In general, the same gaseous emission standards are achieved by both petrol and diesel engines. The emission standards on the current urban cycle type approval tests are expressed in grammes per test (g/test). These standards, recalculated in grammes per mile (g/mile), are as follows:

increased to life imprisonment, and that any sentence regarded by the Attorney-General as too lenient can now be the subject of a reference to the Court of Appeal.

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