HC Deb 10 December 1993 vol 234 cc413-4W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the shortest sentence served for murder in the last 30 years; and what were the circumstances.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from A. J. Butler to Ms Barbara Roche, dated 10 December 1993: Shortest sentence served for murder in the last 30 years The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the shortest sentence served for murder in the last 30 years and what the circumstances were. The shortest sentence served was one day. This occurred in two unrelated cases where the inmates died one day after reception.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average sentence served by those convicted of murder and later released.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from A. J. Butler to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 10 December 1993: Average sentence length for murder The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average time served by inmates sentenced for murder and who have since been released. I attach a copy of a table showing the numbers of life sentenced prisoners released from 1981–91. This information is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (Table 8.5 of the latest volume, for 1991, CM 2157), a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the findings of the independent inquiry into the mandatory life sentence chaired by Lord Lane; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on victims and their families of knowing the sentence imposed on those convicted of murder, as recommended in the independent inquiry into the mandatory life sentence chaired by Lord Lane.

Mr. Maclean

I consider that the report of the Committee on the Penalty for Murder has usefully drawn together the arguments for a change in the existing law under which the mandatory penalty for murder is a sentence of life imprisonment. In considering the report's conclusions, I will, of course, take into account the possible effects of any change on the families of murder vicitims. But I have not been persuaded by arguments I have so far heard that any change is necessary to the present law.