HC Deb 03 March 1994 vol 238 cc831-2W
Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 February,Official Report, column 641, what decision as to the period to be served for retribution and deterrence he reached in the case of Mohammed Riaz and Abdul Qayyum Raja; what were the recommendations made to him in each case by the trial judge and the Lord Chief Justice; what rights both men have to make representations against his decision; in coming to his decision, what account he took of any recommendation made by the trial judge about deportation at the end of sentence; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

[holding answer 9 February 1994]: The period for retribution and deterrence in these cases was originally set in 1988. At that time the trial judge recommended 10 years for Mr. Riaz and 15 years for Mr. Raja. The Lord Chief Justice of the day recommended a minimum period of 16 years for Mr. Riaz and 21 years for Mr. Raja. The Minister then set a period of 20 years for Mr. Riaz, and 25 years for Mr. Raja. In doing so he would have had regard to the statement by Sir Leon Brittan, as Home Secretary in 1983, that terrorists and certain other specified categories of murderer could normally expect to serve at least 20 years.

Following the Doody judgment of June 1993, the above details were disclosed to Mr. Riaz and Mr. Raja individually. They subsequently made representations and their cases were considered afresh in December 1993. My right hon. and learned Friend concluded that there were no grounds in either case to justify disapplying the policy set out in the Brittan statement. He therefore confirmed the existing periods in both cases. The possibility of deportation was not a factor which was taken into account in reaching his decision.

My right hon. and learned Friend is always prepared to consider any written representations from mandatory life sentence prisoners as to the period they should serve. However, as the cases of Mr. Riaz and Mr. Raja have already received very careful consideration, further representations are unlikely to succeed in the absence of new information.