§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What work is currently being done by the Sentencing Advisory Panel; when the panel last made a proposal to the Court of Appeal about guidelines for specific offences; and when it is likely to do so again. [HL4632]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)The Sentencing Advisory Panel is currently looking at the offences of handling stolen goods, manslaughter by reason of provocation and rape. The panel has also commissioned a public attitude survey on sentencing in domestic burglary cases which has now been completed. Its findings will be published in due course. The panel's most recent proposal to the Court of Appeal—that the court should frame a sentencing guideline on racially aggravated offences—was sent to the court on 19 July 2000 and published on 29 August. It is hoped that the advice on handling stolen goods will be submitted to the Court of Appeal in the new year.