Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of people convicted of burglary offences for the first time that were handed down custodial sentences in the latest period for which figures are available.

4,239 people - both adults and youths - who had no previous convictions for burglary offences were convicted of a burglary offence in year ending September 2018, of which 2,306 (54%) received a custodial sentence. A custodial sentence includes both immediate custody and suspended sentence orders.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts, taking into account the particular circumstances of the offence and offender, and following any relevant sentencing guidelines.