Oral Answers to Questions

Tony Baldry Excerpts

Tuesday 17th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vara]

The Government have introduced various measures, one of which, on whiplash, is to have an accredited panel of medical experts. We want to make sure that there are proper experts who deal with this issue. The AA has reported that, as of October this year, the average comprehensive insurance for motor vehicles has gone down by £80.

[Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con)]

18. What steps he is taking to reduce the use of cautions for repeat offences.

[The Minister for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims (Damian Green)]

Cautioning for repeat offenders is unacceptable and does not deliver justice for victims. That is why we have acted to ensure that criminals should no longer receive a second caution for the same, or a similar, offence committed in a two-year period.

[Sir Tony Baldry]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. In addition to stopping the use of repeat cautions, does he agree that there are some offences for which, in any event, the use of a caution is simply not appropriate?

[Damian Green]

I do agree; my right hon. Friend makes an extremely important and valid point. That is why we concluded after the simple cautions review that cautions should not be used for any offence that can be tried only in the Crown court. Indeed, going further than that, certain offences that can be tried either in the Crown court or in a magistrates court are also not suitable for cautions, including, in particular, possession of a knife.