Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to increase sentences for violent offenders.

Since 2010, average sentence lengths have risen by 56% and this Government have introduced tougher punishments for the worst offenders – including extending whole-life orders to premeditated child murders. This Government increased the point at which those convicted of rape and serving a standard determinate sentence (SDS) of 7 years or more should be released. This was increased from 50% of the sentence to two-thirds. In the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, we went further by applying a two-thirds release point to all serious sexual offenders (including rapists) sentenced to an SDS of 4 years or more.

This is in direct contrast to the last Labour Government who, in the Criminal Justice Act 2003, legislated so all prisoners serving a standard determinate sentence – including rapists and violent criminals – were automatically released from prison at the halfway point of the sentence.

But now we are going further still and the recently introduced Sentencing Bill will ensure that rapists and serious sexual offenders serve their full custodial term in prison.

We will also introduce in the Sentencing Bill, a new duty for the court to impose a whole life order for cases of murder which are currently normally subject to a whole life order starting point, unless the court is of the opinion that there are exceptional circumstances. In addition, murders which involve sexual or sadistic conduct will be added to the types of murder that will become subject to the new duty to impose a whole life order (unless there are exceptional circumstances). These murders currently have a 30-year starting point but will, in future, be likely to attract a whole life order.