Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Greg Knight Excerpts
Tuesday 12th March 2019

(5 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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As the right hon. Gentleman is aware, this is something that we are continuing to look at very carefully and we are continuing to learn both from what has happened in Scotland and the evidence that suggests, on the basis of a study of 130 different characteristics in 300,000 separate offenders, that people are more likely to reoffend with a short custodial sentence and therefore that tens of thousands more crimes are committed every year by the wrong use of a custodial sentence.

Greg Knight Portrait Sir Greg Knight (East Yorkshire) (Con)
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In seeking to reduce costs, will the Minister give a pledge not to cut corners? He is seeking to build a new prison in my constituency at Full Sutton, but the traffic assessment that has taken place is, I believe, deeply flawed. Will he look at that again? Even if it means extra cost, if he deems it is warranted, will he order a new traffic assessment please?

Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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I absolutely undertake to look again at the traffic assessment and to sit down with my right hon. Friend to examine it in more detail together.