Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that offenders attend their sentencing hearing.

Our Criminal Justice Bill will give judges new powers to order offenders to attend their sentencing hearings and to punish those who refuse to do so without reasonable excuse. An offender in breach of this order will face up to a further 24 months’ prison time. The measure will apply to all offenders convicted of an offence which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. We are also making it clear – in law – that force can be used to make sure offenders attend their sentencing hearings where reasonable and proportionate.