Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to ensure consistency in sentencing criminal landlords for housing-related offences.

The government keeps the penalties for housing related offences under review to ensure that the courts have sufficient powers to deal effectively with those convicted of these offences. Sentencing for housing related or any other offence, however is entirely a matter for the independent judiciary.

Sentencing guidelines are issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales.