§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the average custodial sentence applied for manslaughter in England in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [17087]
§ Mr. MichaelInformation for 1990 to 1996 is given in the following table:
Average sentence length1 given at the Crown Court for offences of manslaughter 1990 to 1996 England Offence/year People sentenced to immediate custody Average sentence length1 (months) Number of life sentences Manslaughter (Common Law and Offences Against the Person Act 1861, sections 5, 9 and 10) 1990 128 56.6 9 1991 145 53.9 10 1992 200 58.9 10 1993 167 63.3 8 1994 160 60.0 5 1995 166 58.5 6 1996 196 61.3 13 Manslaughter due to diminished responsibility (Homicide Act 1957, section 2) 1990 8 51.0 2 1991 12 64.0 6 1992 6 72.0 3 1993 11 57.3 2 1994 9 51.0 3 1995 13 55.5 5 1996 7 61.0 1 1 Excludes life sentences. Apart from the requirement under the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 for the courts to give automatic life sentences for people convicted of manslaughter for a second time, and within the statutory limits set by Parliament, sentences in individual cases are a matter for the courts.