Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to automatically recall to prison any released offender who (a) seeks and (b) obtains employment in a position they are barred from through the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Recall is a vital tool to protect the public. All offenders on licenced supervision in the community are liable to recall to prison if they fail to comply with the conditions of their licence or if the Probation Service assess that they can no longer be safely managed in the community.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has plans to remove the 28 day cap on the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Parliament intended the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme to be an exceptional power, and any expansion of the scheme must be carefully considered. While we understand calls for expansion, it is important for both victims and offenders that there is finality in sentencing.
The Law Commission is undertaking a review of the laws governing criminal appeals. Last month, it launched a public consultation which invites views on a range of reforms to the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme, including extending the 28-day time limit. The consultation is open to all and runs until 30 May: Criminal Appeals Consultation Paper - Law Commission.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases were referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme between 2019 to 2025.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
From 1 January 2019 to 21 February 2025, 781 sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Law Officers under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
The number of referrals by Law Officers to the Court of Appeal each year since 2019 is as follows:
2019 | 93 |
2020 | 97 |
2021 | 155 |
2022 | 139 |
2023 | 139 |
2024 | 146 |
2025 | 12 to date |
This data is available publicly using the Outcome of ULS Referrals Data Tool - Outcome of unduly lenient sentence referrals - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to prevent reoffending by people convicted of drug dealing.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are tackling the causes of reoffending by investing in a range of interventions to address the underlying criminogenic needs of offenders (including those convicted of drug dealing). This includes accommodation, employment and substance misuse treatment services.
There are also a range of accredited programmes in prisons and probation designed to address offending behaviour. Those convicted of drug dealing offences may be suitable, for example, for the Building Choices programme, which provides offenders with a structured opportunity to learn, strengthen, and practice skills and behaviour that targets areas of common criminogenic need. Accredited programmes are complemented by a range of interventions that aim to support individuals to change their attitudes, thinking and behaviour, which are commonly delivered by third sector organisations – and may also be suitable for those convicted of drug offences.
Furthermore, people convicted of drug dealing are subject to licence conditions on release from prison which aim to protect the public, prevent re-offending and secure the successful re-integration into the community. For those convicted of drug dealing with substance misuse issues, licence conditions may require them to attend appointments with substance misuse services or to submit to drug testing.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What recent discussions he has had with the Sentencing Council on sentencing guidelines for violent and sexual offences.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State meets with the Chairman of the Sentencing Council periodically to discuss a range of relevant matters, and has a representative attend Council meetings.
The Council has issued sentencing guidelines for a wide range of violent and sexual offences. While the Council is independent of Government, it is required to consult the Lord Chancellor on guideline development.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What steps HM Courts and Tribunals Service is taking to tackle the backlog of criminal court cases.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the criminal justice system but HMCTS has worked closely with the judiciary to keep courts open and cases flowing through the system.
HMCTS has led the way internationally in continuing justice; restarting jury trials ahead of all other comparable systems.
We continue to make significant progress on Criminal Courts Recovery. Since August, magistrates’ courts have been consistently completing more cases than they are receiving, dealing with over 21,000 cases each week and tackling the backlog.
In the Crown Court, we’re listing over 150 jury trials and conducting thousands of other hearings each week.