Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of six month prison sentences for criminals on re-offending rates.

We are clear that sentencing must match the severity of a crime and public protection is our priority.

The latest proven reoffending rate for offenders released from sentences of six months or less in the quarter July to September 2017 was almost two thirds (64.8%).

That is why, one of the first acts by this Prime Minister was to order an urgent review of sentencing, which included looking at changes to sentencing for the most prolific offenders which could help break the cycle of re-offending. Based on the findings of this review, we have announced a Sentencing Bill, which will contain proposals for community penalties that offer an appropriate level of punishment, while tackling the underlying drivers of re-offending.

Custody should be available as a last resort, but if we are to break the cycle of reoffending, solutions will often lie in community sentences, including those which address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, or provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.