Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to override the Sentencing Council's guidance entitled Imposition of community and custodial sentences - Effective from 1 April 2025.

This Government’s position is clear: we are seeking to remove the unequal treatment before the law in these guidelines.

In the first instance, the Lord Chancellor used her power under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and asked the Sentencing Council to reconsider their guidance. On 01 April, we introduced legislation to address the specific issue with these guidelines.

The Sentencing Council have now put the guidelines on pause – we are grateful for their constructive engagement on this issue.

We will also consider a broader review of the Sentencing Council’s role and powers over the coming months. It is right that we take the time to consider more fundamental reforms.