HC Deb 21 November 2002 vol 394 c252W
Vera Baird

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what steps the Lord Chancellor will take to ensure that the Court of Appeal adopts the recommendations of the Sentencing Advisory Panel in sentencing for offences or rape; [81930]

(2)if the Lord Chancellor will monitor the implementation by the Court of Appeal of the recommendations of the Sentencing Advisory Panel in sentencing for offences of rape; [81928]

(3)what discussions the Lord Chancellor has had with the Court of Appeal in connection with the implementation of the recommendations of the Sentencing Authority Panel on sentencing for offences of rape. [81929]

Yvette Cooper

The Lord Chancellor is grateful to the Sentencing Advisory Panel for publishing its advice to the Court of Appeal, which proposes a revision of the current sentencing guidelines for the offence of rape.

The decision on whether or not to adopt this advice is for the Court of Appeal alone and is not a matter in which the Lord Chancellor can intervene.