Oral Answers to Questions

Michael Tomlinson Excerpts

Tuesday 9th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (Con)]

T6. What progress has been made towards introducing a presumption against short-term prison sentences, which will both help to support victims and reduce reoffending?

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Rory Stewart)]

As the Secretary of State has made clear, we feel very strongly that we should look and act on the evidence that a short-term prison sentence is more likely to lead to reoffending than a community sentence, and that therefore, in a sense, it endangers the public. The point of a sentence of any kind must be primarily to prevent offending happening in the future. For that reason, we will look very carefully at emphasising community sentences.